Back to an Old Life
by TransfiguredToad
Summary: When Jaime Lannister wakes up in the Red Keep, he assumes he is dead. Quickly proven wrong, Jaime has to get his priorities in order, so that he can save Jon Arryn before his death sends the court to Winterfell - and Westeros into the War of the Five Kings. Fortunately, Jaime is not alone. Brienne of Tarth arrives, long-haired and much younger than Jaime has ever considered her be
1. Chapter 1

Jaime woke languorously, his shoulders rolling backwards as he splayed himself across the bed as far as possible. The beds at Winterfell were huge and Jaime often woke far on the other side of the bed from Brienne, so he would stretch until he found her and then snuggle across to her and take as many liberties with her body as she would let him, until she realised that she should probably begin to get ready and serve Sansa. Unfortunately, quite often this cut off their lovemaking quite early on. Sometimes Jaime made her forget about it long enough to properly have her. Most of the time, she was just too Brienne.

That morning, Jaime's eyes opened when he found no Brienne in his bed. The light burst through the window, making Jaime flinch back as his eyes adjusted. He shuffled himself up into a seated position and finally took note of where he was: the White Sword Tower.

Too much happened too quickly in Jaime's mind. He thought of King's Landing and Cersei and the war and Daenerys' plan to attack and dragons and - shit.

Jaime remembered the news that Brienne had relayed to him the day before: that Daenerys' fleet had been attacked, one of her dragons taken out and her little translator aid girl murdered by Cersei. That had been the day before. Jaime had gone to bed that night and made love to Brienne and then kissed her neck as she fell asleep softly and then felt tears come to his eyes as he realised what he had to do. He'd tried to convince himself not to. The last thing Jaime remembered was sitting up in bed and watching Brienne, his heart breaking.

Maybe his heart had actually broken and he was dead and this was the afterlife. It was a very nice suite of chambers. Perhaps Brienne could join him here in many, many years when she died. They could snuggle up together every night. Jaime could coax laughter and orgasms out of her for eternity. It was a pleasant thought.

Jaime's evaluation that this was the afterlife was confirmed when he found that he had two hands. This was always the part he was most excited about when it came to death: the return of his reliable right hand. Grinning in excitement, Jaime stood from his bed and flung open his wardrobe, dressing quickly in breeches and a shirt. The weather was warm - so beautifully warm. He hated the fucking North.

It was so much easier and quicker to dress with two hands. Jaime flexed his right hand back and forth a few times, a massive grin on his face. He stepped out onto his balcony and leaned against the barrier, closing his eyes and enjoying the way the sun felt on his face. He didn't care how he had died, be it from a broken heart, or Brienne stabbing him after he left her, or maybe Daenerys had burned him alive and he just couldn't remember the events that led up to it. Maybe that was what happened in death. Jaime just did not care. This was wonderful.

And he was sure that Brienne would come and join him soon. This was eternity so even fifty years would pass in a few days. Jaime could endure a few days without her. He couldn't wait to go to sleep beside her and press a kiss behind her ear and make her make that awful beautiful giggle. Jaime grinned, staring out at what he could see of King's Landing. Soldiers in the training yard. He could go and train with them. Could duel with his RIGHT HAND. Oh, it was incredible.

As Jaime headed back into the room proper to put his shoes on so that he could go and spar, he had a sudden lurch of excitement. In a few days or fifty years, Jaime could duel with Brienne with both hands. The thought was arousing in the extreme. Oh, oh, oh, he could finger her with both hands. He could do everything with both hands. Fucking and fighting with Brienne with both hands. Why did people even stay alive if this was what the afterlife was like?

Jaime slipped out of his chambers, nodding at the Lannister guard who was posted there. "Good morning, Ser," he said dutifully.

"Good morning," Jaime replied jovially, ignoring the odd look the guard gave him. Jaime practically skipped down to the great hall. Lots of courtesans gave him funny, miserable looks. They clearly were not enjoying the afterlife as much as him. Perhaps they had two hands already when they died so there was nothing to be excited about. Or perhaps they didn't have an eternity of fighting and fucking their partner ahead of them.

Jaime reached the great hall and shared a nod with the guards at the door. He swept in and his face fell immediately. At the head of the top table sat Robert Baratheon. Jaime's lip curled. He was laughing raucously. Why - why - was Jaime's wonderful afterlife being ruined by this prick? And next to him - Jaime's heart stopped - Cersei. Was Cersei already dead? What had Daenerys done? Jaime felt a stabbing in his heart unlike anything he had experienced before. The only thing that could compare was the way he felt when Myrcella died in his arms. And yet this was so much more. His sweet sister. An undeniable bitch who had betrayed him as a lover, as a brother and as a human, but who he had loved for so long. So many emotions conflicted. He stood there, gaping at her, until he felt a hand on his arm.

Jaime looked right and found Ser Barristan Selmy. Jaime managed a small smile and received a dirty look for his efforts. "What are you doing, Lannister?" the man growled. Clearly Ser Barristan still wanted to be the Lord Commander in his afterlife. That was fine with Jaime. He'd never wanted the stupid position anyway, had always thought it was inexplicably stupid of Joffrey to dismiss the man and replace him with Jaime. Jaime had loved his life of guarding and fucking Cersei before that. And then suddenly he had to do paperwork, the bane of his very existence for a while there.

Jaime shook Ser Barristan's hand off him. He may have been his lord commander once but he wasn't anymore and Jaime could do whatever the hell he wanted in his afterlife. He stormed off from Ser Barristan and up to the top table. He could do whatever he wanted, could tell Robert to fuck off. Nothing mattered. He was already dead.

Finishing up his ideas of exactly what he would say to the man who abused his sister for years, Jaime was suddenly struck, again. He felt as though his heart would break in two and fall out of his body. He wanted to fall to the floor in pain. Because his brother sat at the table. He'd been hidden by the crowds but now Jaime saw him. And he was dead. Jaime felt tears prick the back of his eyes. His brother, the best of them.

"Jaime," Cersei called. Jaime tore his eyes from Tyrion and laid eyes on his sister. He smiled at her, realising that she had her beautiful long hair back. He'd hated the short hair, or perhaps just the Cersei that she was with short hair. "Come sit with us, brother." Jaime did as he was bid, as he always did with Cersei. She placed him to her left.

And then the final blow was struck. The three children came in, Joffrey swaggering at the front, Myrcella and Tommen giggling behind. Jaime's smile grew and Cersei hit him painfully on his arm. Jaime flinched away from her, scowling. Joffrey sat down to the side of his father but Myrcella and Tommen came to sit by Jaime. "Uncle Jaime, good morning," Myrcella said, her smile like a sunset over the Red Keep.

"Good morning, Myrcella," Jaime said with a smile. What did it matter if he spoke to his children as though they were his children if they were all dead anyway? Who cared if Myrcella, Tommen and Joffrey were truly Jaime's children? Surely nobody. He wanted to scream it from the-

Myrcella knew. Jaime blinked. He remembered talking to her and then he remembered her dying. She was older. And she knew. She knew he was her father and she was older - she was -

Jaime whirled his head round to look at Tommen. Tommen had been older too, when he'd committed suicide. And, shit, Tyrion looked older too, more wrinkled, less carefree. Jaime dropped his fork with a clatter, drawing the attention of others along the top table.

"Are you quite alright, Ser Jaime?" Renly fucking Baratheon said, a sly little smile on his face. Jaime forgot how much he hated that smug bastard. All the smug fucking Baratheons. He wanted to punch him in the face.

Instead, he controlled himself. "Quite alright, thank you, Renly," he replied quietly.

But he was not. He was not alright. Was this a dream? No. Not a dream. He was sure it wasn't a dream. It was all too real. But if it wasn't a dream then-

He'd gone back in time. Jaime drank from his goblet, gulping down the water as he considered what the fuck was going on. He had gone back in time to a time when his sister was still a golden-haired queen, still married to Robert fucking Baratheon, to when his children were still alive.

To a time when he didn't know Brienne. He wasn't waiting a few days for her, for eternity to zoom past him and her to arrive. He would have to wait years, true years, while he fended off Cersei's advances. Jaime felt bile rise in his throat. He could not sleep with Cersei. It would be a betrayal of Brienne. A complete and utter betrayal. But how was he supposed to say no for so many years? He had tried to say no before.

Jaime's hands shook as he picked up his fork again. What was he doing? What had happened? Why was he in the past? Were the events of before just a dream? Was this real now-

More importantly, was Jon Arryn still alive?

If Jon Arryn was still alive, Jaime could stop it all. He could kill Petyr fucking Baelish and everything would be different. Stark would never come to King's Landing. Joffrey would never cut his head off. Jaime squirmed. Cersei would likely still kill Robert, meaning Joffrey would be king. It wouldn't be perfect. But it would be better.

Jaime exhaled slowly, trying to get a hold of his breathing. He noticed that Cersei was looking at him oddly. He truly was not the right person for this job, to change the future. He was the stupidest Lannister. How many times had Cersei said it?

No, he would need help. And there was only one person Jaime trusted in the world.

So, Jaime's actions were settled: prevent the death of Jon Arryn and then go to Tarth, to make Brienne fall in love with him. Because, if he'd needed her before, it was nothing compared to the way he needed her now.

XXX

Jaime worked for the next week. He guarded Robert, ignoring the way that he whored and drank and feasted. He did everything Ser Barristan told him to do. He had dinner with Tyrion most nights and marvelled at the way his brother whored and drank and feasted, like a small version of Robert Baratheon. Jaime didn't care. His brother back and not truly jaded the way he had been before. It was a relief. And in the time that Jaime was not being a good kingsguard or a good brother to Tyrion, Jaime watched Jon Arryn and Petyr Baelish. He got very little sleep but this was more important. He had no clue how he was going to save Jon Arryn but he would- he had to. If Jaime didn't have the happiness of Brienne and the security of the Seven Kingdoms after saving Arryn on his to-do list, he would have become Arryn's personal taster. But he did. And so he started looking for a reason to suggest that Arryn employ a taster, without raising suspicion. He didn't need to be poisoned by Baelish himself.

It was after that first week that Jaime first had a proper conversation with Cersei. He had avoided her all week, taking meals either in his chambers or not at all. But she finally tracked him down when he stood guard outside a meeting of the small council. "Jaime," she said as she approached. Jaime gave her as much of a smile as he could muster.

"Cersei," he replied carefully.

She drew close to him and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to come to your chambers tonight. I need to talk to you."

Of course she needed to talk to him. She didn't just want to fuck him as lovers did. She needed something too. Jaime shook his head.

"I have guard duty for Robert this evening," Jaime lied. Cersei furrowed her brow.

"No you don't. I checked," she said and Jaime schooled his face to not show his irritation.

"I swapped with Ser Balon," Jaime said and Cersei arched an eyebrow. "His sister is arriving on a boat from the Stormlands this evening," he lied. There was a fleet from the Stormlands coming in this evening, bringing a few notable Stormlanders to court, so the lie had basis in truth. And Cersei accepted it. She had no reason not to. The Jaime of this timeline would never lie to her. Certainly not about something that meant he wouldn't have sex that night.

"Tomorrow then," Cersei said, giving him a lusty look that had Jaime's cock twitching despite himself. He swallowed and looked away from her. She gave him a confused look and then stalked away, clearly unhappy with Jaime's response. Jaime closed his eyes. He would need to get better at dodging her. He had yet to figure out exactly when they were in the timeline and he could not remember precisely when Jon Arryn was killed, so he may have moons yet until he could save Arryn and run away to Tarth to find Brienne.

Jaime did not guard Robert that night, obviously, because Ser Barristan was on guard with Ser Balon and Jaime did not have the words to explain to them, particularly Ser Barristan, why he wanted to do their watch when it was quite well known how much he hated it. Instead, Jaime slipped out of the castle all together, undercover and disguised as a footman. He wandered through the streets of King's Landing for hours. He didn't have any duties in the morning so he could sleep in. Jaime walked out to where the sea met land and then back into the middle of the city and then to the sept that Cersei had destroyed with wildfire. It was only when Jaime reached the docks that he spoke to someone again.

The docks of King's Landing were always busy and that night was no exception. In fact, Jaime thought it was busier than most nights. Four ships flying the Baratheon stag were docked and bustling. Jaime quickly surmised that this was the fleet that was bringing in some Stormlanders to court. Sure enough, Jaime recognised various vassals of Robert's - a Selmy girl accompanied by a tall man wearing the three stalks of yellow wheat, two young men bearing the battling swans of house Swann and a husband and wife whose retainers claimed their Buckler descent. Jaime watched them, tired and weary from travel, climb onto horses and be led from the docks towards the Red Keep. At that point, Jaime was approached.

"Ser Jaime," the captain of the fleet said, bobbing his head to him in respect. Jaime greeted him swiftly, aware that he needed to leave immediately. He did not need this man reporting this meeting to anyone that would tell Cersei. "Are you here to see the passengers safely to the Red Keep?"

Jaime found himself nodding. "Yes, on King Robert's orders," he lied. The captain was clearly shocked by the king's thoughtfulness but did not say anything. "As soon as the last one is away, I'll be off too," Jaime said. The captain inclined his head.

"There's just one more. Here she is. Well, I say she," the man said, chuckling. Jaime gave him a funny look and glanced up to see who was coming off from the boat. What Jaime saw made him freeze.

"Brienne," he breathed. She walked just like his Brienne, scowled just like his Brienne, even got on a horse like his Brienne. This Brienne had longer hair, though, and it made Jaime smile.

The captain chuckled. "You know the lady of Tarth, Ser Jaime?"

"Give her some respect," Jaime spat at the stupid little man, noticing his flaws then. The captain's eyes widened and he bobbed his head deferentially. Jaime almost wished he had his golden hand so that he could smack some respect into this stupid man. Jaime took a step forward just as Brienne began to ride away to the castle. He could have called out to her but word would only get back to Cersei.

Swallowing heavily, Jaime started to make his way back to the castle. Why was Brienne in King's Landing? With a lurch of his heart, Jaime considered for the first time that it was not just he who had been sent back in time.

XXX

Jaime woke up the next morning with his cock hard and insistent between his legs and Brienne's name on the tip of his tongue. Last night seemed half a dream and yet it wasn't. Brienne was in King's Landing. The fact of it had Jaime jumping from his bed, his brain quickly formulating a thousand scenarios between them. Would she run into his arms? Would she notice him at all? Did she remember him? Would he have to make her fall in love with him again?

The thought wasn't entirely hateful to Jaime. He had made so many mistakes with Brienne. If she didn't know him and got to fall in love with him all over again, he could do everything right, be the man she deserved. Jaime did his shirt up quickly, a little shocked that he still knew how to do everything with his right hand. He was flexing that hand when a voice chilled his blood.

"Jaime," she purred. Jaime swallowed heavily and turned to find Cersei already unlacing her own corset. Fuck. He was shaking her head before she even reached him.

"No," he muttered. Cersei looked at him with a smirk. She flung her corset onto the bed. Jaime didn't even look at her breasts. She was beautiful, there was no denying it. But she wasn't what Jaime wanted. He did not want to be browbeaten again, led around by the cock, by the reward of having sex once every three months when and how Cersei determined it should be. Jaime pushed her away lightly but she just hissed at the feel of his hands on her shoulders.

"Come on, brother," she said, putting her hand between his legs. Jaime hardened involuntarily and pushed her away again. "It's been so long, Jaime. I'm aching for you."

"No," Jaime said more forcefully. He grasped her shoulders and shoved her away. She narrowed her eyes at him and approached again, reaching for her skirts this time. She went to take them off too but Jaime grabbed her hands before she could. "I said no, Cersei," he growled. Her lip curled.

"No?" she hissed. "You think to refuse me?"

"Stay away from me," Jaime said, wanting to close his eyes against the anger in her eyes. He almost wanted to plead her to be sad, be forlorn and confused and heartbroken. Feel.

"No," she said, approaching him again and pushing her lips against his. Jaime was so tempted. This was the Cersei he had loved, kissing him, not the Cersei who had killed and ruined their lives. Even so, Jaime placed his hands on her stomach and pushed her away.

"I said, stay away from me," Jaime said in as low tones as he could muster.

Cersei's nostrils flared. "I can feel you hard for me, Jaime, just as you have been all our lives," she said, pushing her finger into his chest. Jaime met her eyes and did not falter.

"I don't love you," he lied. "I don't want you," he said truthfully. He saw the slap coming but did not move quick enough, feeling the sting against his cheek. He caught her wrist as it left his face and squeezed it. "Get out," he ground out.

"With pleasure," she spat, picking up her corset and fastening it around herself again. "Don't come crying to me when you change your mind and no one else wants you, brother. I own you. You are mine."

And, with that, Jaime's heart broke. She stormed out, her skirts flowing behind her. Jaime watched her leave, his brow furrowed and his lips slightly parted. Had he just made a huge mistake? There was no telling what would happen now. Head bowed, Jaime turned to reenter his bedroom when he saw her.

Brienne.


	2. Chapter 2

"Brienne," he breathed. He met her eyes, blue and bright with tears. She wasn't so far away that he couldn't see her crestfallen face, so much more than her usual scowl that he had seen her face adorned with the night before. Her hair was braided, pulled back from her face in an unattractive manner. She stepped backwards and tripped against the wall, stumbling to the ground ungracefully. Jaime couldn't keep in the chuckle that escaped him as he reached her and offered her a hand to pull her up.

"Are you a woman?" Jaime said in faux disbelief, similar to what he had asked Catelyn Stark when he had first met Brienne. He found himself grinning when she elbowed him forcefully in the stomach. That cleared that up. Only his Brienne would do that. "I just thought I should start the way I started last time, to make you fall in love with me again."

Brienne tutted and rolled her eyes. "I assure you it was not that comment that had me falling in love with you."

"But you admit you did?" Jaime returned. Brienne scowled.

"That depends: have you just fucked Cersei?" she asked and the control over her facial features was almost impressive. She must have been taking lessons from Sansa. Jaime's eyes widened and he glanced at the direction Cersei had sauntered off in. "Because, if you have, I swear to all seven gods, Jaime-"

Jaime sighed. His hand twitched. He wanted to reach for her, to press his two hands on her cheeks and bring her close. "Of course I haven't just fucked Cersei. Why would I do that when I have a long-haired wench waiting for me?" He reached for her braid and pulled it lightly, enjoying her scowl. He brought the braid over her shoulder and placed it down gently, caressing her shirt-covered shoulder lightly with the pad of his thumb. "I promise you, Brienne. That's all over, I promise. She came to me and I refused her."

Brienne nodded a bit shakily. "I trust you," she said with half a smile and Jaime's stomach squirmed, remembering sitting up in their bed at Winterfell, ready to leave.

"Come into my chambers," Jaime said, feeling dread fall like a brick in his stomach "I need to talk to you."

When he was finished telling her what he nearly did, what he was going to do, she was silent. Sat on the armchair by the fireplace, she was utterly silent. Jaime listened carefully to ensure she was breathing as he paced relentlessly by the window. His stomach grumbled and Brienne did not react. Jaime sat down on the bed and Brienne did not react. Only when he opened his mouth to say something, unable to bear the tension in the room, did she open her mouth too.

"What were you going to do?" she croaked, as though she had not spoken for a long time, or as though she were holding back tears. Jaime obviously knew it was the latter and he hated it so much, hated himself so much.

"Take her somewhere," Jaime said honestly. "Keep her safe until the baby came and then bring them both back, keep the baby and let Cersei be tried."

Brienne scoffed. "You would never have let them kill Cersei."

Jaime looked away from her cerulean eyes. He didn't know if he would have either. Thankfully, it never got that far. Thankfully, the gods or fate or Bran bloody Stark sent them back in time before Jaime could irrevocably fuck up his love life. In hindsight, Jaime had really just said a big fuck you to his benefactor by telling Brienne.

"I don't know what I would have done," Jaime told her. Brienne nodded. "I just- I couldn't let them kill another one of my children. I wanted to be-"

"A father? Well, I don't suppose you had anything other opportunities." Brienne sounded bitter, so unhappy that Jaime rushed over to her and knelt down by her legs, pressing a kiss to her knee. She jerked away from him. "Don't, Jaime."

"Of course I want your children. Of course I do. Don't doubt-"

"You keep saying of course, Jaime! Of course you didn't sleep with Cersei. Of course you wanted to have children with me. Why am I supposed to just believe you?"

Jaime shook his head, blinking back desperate tears. "I couldn't bear the idea that I would have a child with you and one day have to tell it that I didn't fight for its brother or sister, that I let four of my children die before it arrived, okay, Brienne? I don't know how to make you believe me. I just need you to trust me."

She was silent a few instants. "I do trust you," she said and a smile rose unbidden on Jaime's face, hopeful and wary of what she would say next. "But it's going to take a while to-"

"To get over me trying to leave you," Jaime said with a nod. "I know. That's why I told you straight away. This way, I can make you trust me again and then we can have lots of great sex." Brienne gave him a disapproving look but Jaime waved at her with his right hand. "I have two hands now."

She did grin at that. "I'm very happy for you."

"I'm very happy for you," Jaime said with undertones that he hoped made her anticipate what he was going to do to her, when she was ready to trust him fully again. And she would. He was going to prove to her that she was all he wanted. She blushed and looked away. "This is my better hand too. You can't imagine how good my fingers are going to make you come."

"Jaime!" Brienne cried, pressing her hands against her cheeks. Jaime smirked. "Jaime," Brienne said, her tone slightly more level. "I need-" she cut herself off and swallowed, her throat bobbing. She held out a hand to him, where he was still kneeling by her knees. "I need some time."

"I know, love," he said softly, pressing another kiss to her knee. He leaned his head against her thigh and they sat there in silence for a few moments. Jaime listened to Brienne's breathing, wondering how he had gone so long without it, wondering how he was ever going to leave her. How could he have listened to this and thought he could leave? "I missed you," Jaime whispered, glancing up at her blue eyes. She managed to move her lips upwards for him and he saw that her eyes sparkled. She nodded in a way that Jaime thought might have meant that she felt the same.

"I thought I might arrive and you wouldn't remember," Brienne said. Jaime swallowed. If she had not remembered, he was certain that he would have been able to make her fall in love with him, eventually. She was kind and good and she would have listened to him until she realised that he loved her. If he had not remembered, she would have arrived here to find a Cersei-obsessed bastard, being led around by the possibility of a fuck once a month or so, doing whatever it took to keep Cersei and their secret safe. The thought brought bile to Jaime's fault.

"Jaime," she said a few more moments later, when Jaime's face was pressed fully into her thigh, trying to stop the thoughts of how awful life without her was. Jaime glanced up to her. "I'm a maiden."

Jaime nearly choked, at the fact that the words were coming out of her mouth and at the reminder that she was in a body of before Jaime had taken her maidenhead, half-drunk and fumbling. "I- Brienne," he breathed, looking up at her. Surely she knew what she had just said to him.

She had started speaking again when a mad plan came to Jaime. He drew away from her and the change of position made her stop speaking. Standing, Jaime turned around the room slowly, searching for something, anything, that would fulfil his purpose. She said his name and he shot her a smile as his circle of the room finished, his search a failure.

Jaime shook his head. "No matter." Jaime sank to one knee instead of two this time.

"Jaime." Her tone was full of warning but Jaime would ask and he would ask once. If she said no, then he would fight for her to be his lover, fight to regain her trust and be happy with her as his lover while he was a kingsguard. But this was what he wanted. He wanted to share a name, to share a life, a bedchamber.

"Marry me," he said. He didn't smile because he did not want her to believe it a jest. He pressed a kiss to her knee again. "Marry me. I know that it is a small gesture and currently rather an empty gesture because I am a kingsguard, but we'll find a loophole, we'll escape that and then get married and live happily ever after with seven children or no children or as many children as you want-"

Jaime hardly breathed. His mind rambled and so his mouth rambled. He'd never had much of a filter. He was almost grateful when she cut him off. "Jaime," she said, a soft smile at her lips. For a moment, Jaime thought she was going to laugh at him. "Let's get married."

A laugh escaped Jaime's lips, full of relief and love for this woman, who was smiling, so crooked and imperfect and yet so beautiful and loved. He rose up. "Can I- can I kiss you?" Jaime asked, rather unsure. Brienne nodded, biting her lip. Jaime smiled and leaned down, giving her a very small, very soft kiss on her lips. She pulled away and Jaime brushed her chinbone with his thumb.

He had a long way to go but he had just made the most important step.

XXX

Brienne sighed and pulled herself out of Jaime's embrace, ignoring his whine of discontent. "I have to go, Jaime. If Cersei finds out you've had me here for this long-"

"You're the only thing I care about now," Jaime groaned. Brienne stood and brushed out the creases on her tunic, hating the word now, hating the fact that she wondered when she had become the only thing he cared about. He had clearly cared about something else more when he had started to leave her at Winterfell.

Instead of bringing that up, Brienne said, "Yes, well, Cersei doesn't know that." Brienne sighed. "I have to go, Jaime, else there will be rumours. We don't want that if we want you to be honourably discharged from the kingsguard."

Jaime rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "It's you that cares if it's honourably-"

"You should care too!" Brienne protested, anger surging inside her. He was not taking this as seriously as he should. "If you have another mark against your name, Jaime-"

"You forget, wench, that, in this timeline, I've done less deplorable things. Catelyn Stark doesn't know that I threw her child out of a window. I haven't driven the Tullys out of their own home-"

"But you are still the Kingslayer." Brienne sighed. "I'll see you later, Jaime."

"When?" Jaime asked with a pout. Brienne pursed her lips and headed towards the door. He was frustrating her by not being able to see past their potential happiness. There was so much more to consider. The fate of the Seven Kingdoms lay on their shoulders. Brienne wanted to think about what they could change to make things work perfectly this time. She wanted to protect Sansa most of all and was fairly certain she could start that now.

With one final look at Jaime, Brienne unbarred the door and went to step out. "Wow, are you a giantess?" a voice said from down below. Brienne closed her eyes and let go of the door.

"Jaime," she muttered. Tyrion Lannister was standing, ready to be let into Jaime's chambers. She wondered how long he had been standing there, how much he could hear from outside. Even if he could hear nothing, he had just seen her leaving his brother's chambers, the same brother who he believed to be obsessively in love with Cersei.

Brienne felt Jaime come to her shoulder. She stiffened. "Tyrion," Jaime said levelly. Tyrion was looking between them with undisguised curiosity. "Come in. Brienne, you should probably stay a while longer."

His voice was so controlled. Tyrion stepped into the room. Brienne returned to the chair she had been sitting on, though she sat on the far end, while earlier she had been practically sat on Jaime, her betrothed. Jaime had proposed to her. Brienne could hardly focus on it, what with everything they needed to do and fix. It was not the priority, not for Brienne.

"Tyrion," Jaime said, once his brother had perched himself on the armchair across from the chaise longue that Jaime and Brienne sat. "This is my betrothed, Brienne of Tarth."

It was Jaime's priority, however.

Brienne closed her eyes for an instant and then opened them, shooting a glare at Jaime, who grinned, turning to his brother whose jaw hung open. "She's not quite as excited as I am, more practical than me," he said in a confessional tone that made Brienne want to hit him over his head.

"I-" Tyrion started before cutting himself off. "Jaime, you are betrothed?"

Jaime nodded and he reached over to put his hand on Brienne's knee. Brienne glanced down at the hand with disgust. Two-handed Jaime was far more handsy than one-handed Jaime, for obvious reasons. It also helped that Brienne was the first woman that he could touch without reserve. Thoughts like that threatened Brienne's resolve to focus on the realm. She wanted to be married to Jaime so that he could love without reserve, without hiding.

Tyrion looked between them, his jaw hanging open. "How old is she?"

Brienne had barely considered the question herself. "Ten-and-eight." She heard Jaime choke next to her.

"You are?" he asked incredulously. Brienne widened her eyes at him. She wondered if he had known that she was only twenty-and-two when he slept with her at Winterfell. "Okay, yes, sorry, of course you are. What is your point, Tyrion?"

Tyrion shrugged. "She's just rather young." Brienne and Jaime shared a look, lips twitching. In this timeline, Tyrion was less than a year away from marrying a ten-and-three year old. "And, Jaime, you have-"

"He does not," Brienne interrupted. Jaime smiled at her, brushing his thumb across her knee lightly. Brienne gave him a soft smile.

"My betrothed is right, Tyrion. Cersei can go and fuck herself, although I'm sure she'll find someone else to do the job for her, and I have plans to have Father have me dismissed from the kingsguard so that I can marry Brienne."

Tyrion seemed utterly bewildered. Brienne understood the feeling well. It was the way she had been feeling since she had woken in Tarth a week or so ago. Possibly she had been feeling that way since Jaime had arrived at Winterfell, or since she had met him even. "Jaime, I don't understand. What changed? Where did you find this woman?"

"A bearpit," Jaime replied with a serious tone. Tyrion looked horrified, as though Jaime had just insulted his betrothed. Brienne, however, felt bubbles of laughter rising inside her. It wasn't even true but it was funny and just served to confuse Tyrion even more. Peals of laughter fell from Brienne's lips and she found Jaime grinning at her, proudly like he always did when he made her laugh properly. It was similar to the way he looked when he gave her an orgasm, although, admittedly, less heated.

"Jaime," Tyrion said and his tone was rather desperate. Brienne glanced at Jaime and he just winked at her.

"We're from the future, Tyrion," Jaime said and Brienne inhaled sharply. They had not discussed this. "Last week, I woke up here and thought I was dead because, when I went to sleep, I had been at Winterfell. Last night, Brienne arrived from Tarth to figure out whether or not I had come back like her. So, here we are, four years earlier, lots of people still alive, lots of things undone and unsaid." Brienne gave him a disbelieving look to which he winked at her again. That look made Brienne's insides burn.

"You're jesting," Tyrion said, looking between them with a smile that soon fell when neither of their faces cracked into smiles. "Right, yes. I suppose that would explain your odd behaviour of late. Tell me about the future."

Jaime glanced at Brienne, who reached for him and wrapped her hands around his forearm. She nodded at him and he began to explain the future, from when they were, to when they had fallen asleep at Winterfell. Brienne listened to Jaime speak, enjoying the odd sensation of listening to parts of her own story from his perspective. He described some things in more detail than others, entirely leaving out some of Brienne and his story. He did not mention any bathtubs, for example. Brienne was rather glad. Those moments were theirs alone.

He finished by explaining his plan to leave Brienne at Winterfell. Brienne found herself turning away, tears pricking the backs of her eyes. It wasn't that she didn't understand his motivations. She even believed that he loved her. But it still hurt. Jaime reached for her and Brienne let him wrap an arm around her front, curling close to her. She took comfort from his touch, even if it was he who was hurting her. If he had let Cersei die, pregnant with his child, Brienne knew that he wouldn't have been Jaime. It just hurt so much.

Tyrion's eyes darted between them. Brienne hated the look in his eyes, anger burning inside her. He was likely comparing her to Cersei, wondering why she was the woman that finally broke him away from his sister's grip, especially now he knew that Jaime was going to leave her. Humiliation burned through Brienne and she had to break apart from Jaime, his touch suddenly unbearable. Angry tears burned in her eyes.

"What is your plan?" Tyrion asked quietly. Jaime hesitated.

"I want to marry Brienne," he said and Brienne closed her eyes. Perhaps she should just let herself have this, a marriage. Jaime was so insistent but Brienne knew they had to protect the realm. But it could take years to protect everyone as fully as they wanted to, could take years to ensure that no war started between the Starks and Lannisters. And Brienne wanted to stay with Jaime through that. It would eventually make sense for Brienne to be with the Starks, protecting them, and Jaime to be with his family. Brienne didn't want that. She wanted them to be together.

"Father will have you dismissed," Tyrion said with a nod. "You should leave for Casterly Rock immediately. I will discover whether or not Jon Arryn already knows that the children are yours, Jaime. If not, I will destroy this book that Cersei told you about. I'm sure I can find it."

Jaime nodded and Brienne felt a surge of gratitude for Tyrion. Jaime had made the right decision to tell him. Brienne wondered why he had not earlier. She reached for Jaime again, taking his hand around his wrist and he exhaled with something that sounded like relief. Brienne shuffled closer to him. She knew she was blowing hot and cold but he would have to be patient and take what was given. His other arm crawled around her back, his fingers curling at her waist. He pressed his head to her chin. Brienne smiled.

"I will go and talk to Ser Barristan about going to see Father," Jaime said to his brother. "If Jon Arryn already knows about the children, you must make sure that Littlefinger and Lady Lysa cannot kill him."

Tyrion nodded severely. "I understand what is at stake, Jaime."

Jaime nodded and then buried his face into Brienne's neck. Brienne didn't see anything pass between Jaime and Tyrion but Tyrion seemed to know that he had been dismissed. He closed the door behind him and Jaime curled his arms around Brienne. "I love you," he whispered. Brienne nodded against his head.

"I love you too, Jaime."


	3. Chapter 3

"My lord," a man's voice cried into the chamber where Jaime lay on the chaise, his head in Brienne's lap while she read and he thought, of nothing in particular. Jaime barely lifted his head when the man came in, a man whom Jaime recognised as one of the messengers attached to their little entourage, able to ride faster than most to deliver a message back to King's Landing. Jaime had sent him to King's Landing a week ago, a week into their journey to Casterly Rock to speak with his father.

"What is it?" Jaime said lazily, imagining that the boy's distress was because his sister had insisted that the messenger deliver a message to Jaime himself and as quickly as possible. He had yet to speak to her, about anything, other than the argument that they had had when he had banished her from his rooms. He and Brienne had left very few days after that incident and Jaime knew that Cersei was furious, and confused.

"It's a letter from the king, Ser." Jaime sat up. The king - Robert - not Cersei. Panic rose in Jaime's chest. What could he want? Like he always had whenever Robert was angry with him, whenever he called for him, Jaime considered that he knew about his affair with Cersei.

Snatching the letter from the messenger, Jaime noticed Brienne giving him a coin in thanks, as though they did not also pay him a constant wage. She was almost too kind, his betrothed. Jaime broke the seal of the letter with his thumb and pulled out the parchment.

He read it as quickly as possible, Brienne's eyes over his shoulder, unable to believe that he was receiving a piece of good news from Robert. For years, all he had received from the bastard was hatred and taunting. Not since he had pardoned him had he been grateful for something coming out of the king's mouth.

But now he was.

Because Robert Baratheon had dismissed him from the Kingsguard.

He supposed that, though it had been without precedent, Robert had been grateful to get rid of another Lannister from his employ, so he didn't have to see his face every day. Jaime didn't care. He only cared that his father had done it - far quicker than he'd imagined. Jaime knew that his father would agree, but he had assumed there would be some goading first, some asking for favours and some demands of what he would do next.

Well, there was one thing that his father certainly wanted him to do and it was the one thing that Jaime would not let him down on. With a smile, he turned to Brienne, who had sunk onto the couch behind him in shock at the letter.

Throwing the letter into the fire dramatically, Jaime sank to his knees before Brienne and brought her hands to his lips. "I love you," he told her. Her big lips spread into a smile.

"I love you too, Jaime. I'm so happy for you."

Jaime shook his head. "This isn't only about me. This is about you too." She looked up, confusion turning her features to incredulity. "Let's get married."

"Jaime, we already are getting married. Are you starting to lose your memory?"

Jaime gave her a derisive look. "I mean now. Let's get married now."

Brienne laughed, shock making it high-pitched. "Now? We can't get married now."

"Why?"

"Because- your- because- your father?"

Jaime rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to Brienne's covered knee. "I don't give two fucks about my father. Do you want to marry me?"

Brienne cocked her head, smiling. "Of course I do."

"Then marry me now. I don't want to wait any longer."

"And this isn't about me refusing to sleep with you until now?" Brienne asked. Jaime reached up and pulled her bottom lip away from her tooth.

"You can refuse to sleep with me for another year and I will not protest once, if you become my wife."

Brienne smiled. "Okay then. Let's get married."

XXX

Jaime had organised the wedding. Brienne had only got herself ready while he dashed around organising things, promising that it would be perfect. They were staying in a sweet village in the Westerlands, by the sea. Marrying by the sea had been Brienne's dream before she'd convinced herself that marriage was for girls unlike her. Yet, here the Gods were, answering her childhood prayers.

One of Jaime's knights escorted Brienne to the cliffside where they were going to marry, in smart clothing. He'd opened the door to the carriage for Brienne and then gave her a genuine smile as he closed the door behind her and jumped on the horse in front. Despite the fact that she was wearing armour and not a gown, Brienne felt like a bride. She bit her lip, looking down onto her lap.

She was about to marry Jaime Lannister.

This had not even been her wildest dreams. Yes, she had dreamt of being with him - of lying with him - of him choosing to come to her, to find her. But marrying him had never even been something she'd considered. That had been impossible. Even when he had been sharing her bed, she had never ever thought that he would marry her.

And that Jaime probably would not have. The Jaime who was going to leave her. Who only didn't leave her because he was not given the chance.

Brienne pushed those thoughts aside. She trusted Jaime, trusted that he would not leave her. He was marrying her, was moving past Cersei while she still lived, while the opportunity to do things right with her still existed. How could she not trust him when he was choosing her so actively?

Brienne settled her hands against her stomach. She was getting married to Jaime Lannister. With a sudden surge of panic, she wondered how she would style herself now. Should she just be Brienne Lannister? She wasn't sure what Jaime would want. She could keep Brienne of Tarth. She was sure that everyone still called Cersei a Lannister and not Baratheon. She was the only heir to Tarth it did make sense.

Or-

Her surname gave her a nice opportunity. She could be Brienne Lannister of Tarth. She could be both. Still Brienne, but with a nice Jaime-shaped addition. She liked that a lot.

Just as she smiled at the thought, the carriage came to a stop. Brienne inhaled slowly, shaking. The door opened, revealing Jaime to her, in the distance. "My lady," his man said, with a big sweeping gesture out onto the cliff.

Brienne stepped out, using the guard's arm to steady herself and thanking him quietly. He gave her a smile. She wondered if Jaime had asked him to do that. She'd never had his men treat her so well. Perhaps they realised that Jaime was going to be the next Lord of Casterly Rock now - and she was going to be its Lady.

Brienne received a bouquet of flowers from the scullery maid who was travelling with them. The girl - Myra was what Brienne thought she was called - bobbed a curtsey and Brienne smiled. The bouquet was blue and white and the flowers must have clashed awfully with her armour. She tried not to laugh at the thought of what she must have looked like. She knew that Jaime wouldn't mind.

As she drew closer to the cliffside, she could see Jaime's face properly. He too was in his armour. The septon watching on must have thought that they were an odd couple. Brienne smiled. Nobody else mattered. Only Jaime and Brienne.

Brienne finally reached him, finally got close enough to see over the edge of the cliff, to the ocean that she would remember as her wedding's ocean. It was no Tarth - far less sapphire, far more grey - but it was the ocean nonetheless and the sound of the waves crashing against the cliff beneath made Brienne feel as though she were at home, on Tarth.

"Hello," Brienne said, finally standing still. Her armour didn't hide the sound of the ocean anymore. She could hear every wave.

Jaime grinned at her. "Hello."

XXX

When the wedding was over, the septon returning back to his sept with a grumble about a non-religious atmosphere, Jaime kissed Brienne again and, when he pulled away, Brienne's face went with him, wanting more, wanting Jaime.

"Should we go back to the cottage?" Brienne asked, looking at him, meeting his eyes. Jaime shook his head. Brienne narrowed her eyes, wondering if he had understood her meaning. His comment earlier about her perhaps wanting to wait for a year made her worry that he wanted to wait longer, that he perhaps wasn't ready, that he was scared to-

"Let's stay here for awhile. I asked them to leave two horses. We're all alone."

From the look in his eyes, Jaime had not missed Brienne's meaning. Looking down and worrying her bottom lip, Brienne worried that her body was different, that she was different, that he was remembering their time together differently and she would be a disappointment.

She felt his thumb on her chin and she looked up into his mossy eyes. "I love you."

Brienne's heart fell back to ease. "I love you too."

"If you don't want to-"

"I want to," Brienne interrupted him. "Here?"

Jaime grinned. "If you want to. I don't see why not. I'm the heir to all the Westerlands and these are the Westerlands. If I want to fuck my new bride here, I don't see why I shouldn't."

Brienne could only laugh. He was right. There was no one to tell them off. And her second first time on a cliff edge, rather than slightly drunk in her warm chambers in Winterfell, made a nice story. Not that she was ever going to tell that story.

Jaime kissed her softly. "You realise I've never undressed you properly before," Jaime whispered as he moved his lips to her neck. Brienne briefly wondered if all of his men had left. There had not been many to start with but she did not want any of them to watch. "I'm going to take my time."

Brienne pursed her lips. Jaime was very good at taking his time. She knew that he would make it worth her while to endure his teasing. And, after so much of the beginning of their last first time had been built on Jaime struggling to take their clothes off, she could hardly deny him - or herself - the pleasure now.

XXX

The moon had taken the sun's place by the time they reached the small cottage that Jaime had rented. Rather than stay with people along the way, as was the usual procedure for travelling lords, Jaime and Brienne had agreed to stay in inns and cottages like this one, to avoid having to spend unenjoyable evenings at minor lord's castles. And, now, Jaime had banished all of their servants to the nearby inn for the night, with the instruction to carry on to Casterly Rock in the morning. When one of them asked when Jaime and Brienne would be following, Jaime gave Brienne such a heated look that she didn't hear the answer.

"How long are we staying here?" Brienne asked curiously as she lay in Jaime's arms thirty minutes after having dismissed the servants.

Jaime shrugged. "Like I said, it depends how long I can convince you to stay here."

Brienne laughed. "Staying here alone with you won't take much convincing, Jaime."

Jaime nuzzled his face in her neck. "For a year, then."

Brienne's bark of laughter was quickly covered by Jaime's mouth on hers. A year would not be enough time.


	4. Chapter 4

"Jaime," Tywin Lannister greeted with a bow of his head. Brienne watched as Jaime's easy smirk fixed in its place. He looked more a Lannister than ever. "I expected you three days ago."

Jaime glanced at Brienne, who ducked her head to hide her blush. Jaime had convinced her to take three days out of their journey to be wedded and bedded in a tiny coastal village with stunning views of the sea. He had sent their escort on ahead with news of their arrival for his father. And then he had convinced Brienne not to leave the little cottage he'd rented for three full days. Admittedly, Brienne had not needed much convincing.

They were planning to wait to get married until they reached Casterly Rock and discussed how best to get Jaime out of the Kingsguard with Jaime's father. When Robert's letter arrived to dismiss Jaime from the Kingsguard, Jaime had not been able to stop - they had been married within a few hours. How Tywin Lannister had wangled it so quickly was a mystery to both Jaime and Brienne. Either way, neither Jaime nor Brienne was willing to wait any longer to be wed.

"Sorry, Father, I had some business to attend to," Jaime said and gave Brienne such a heated glance that Brienne felt heat rush between her thighs. She was excited for Jaime to show her Casterly Rock but a trip to their bedroom might be required first.

"There is food waiting for you inside," Tywin said with a fond look at his son. Brienne had heard that Tywin Lannister was cold and calculating but she supposed he had finally got what he had always wanted: his heir to claim his birthright. The thought was an uncomfortable one for Brienne. She had never expected to be Lady of Casterly Rock, even back when she was bedding Jaime in Winterfell. She had never expected to be lady of anything but Tarth, which was a much more pleasant prospect than this. Although, with Jaime by her side, Brienne supposed that it would not be so bad.

Jaime reached for Brienne's hand as they entered the foreboding fortress that towered far above them. It was difficult to imagine anything but fear here. It was certainly not where she wanted her children to grow up. She wanted them to be like her, jumping from cliffs into the turquoise oceans and running through sand dunes and going sailing. A twinge blossomed in her chest. Perhaps Tywin Lannister would live long enough for Jaime and Brienne to spend a few years in Tarth, not ruling over the Westerlands.

They ate in the large dining hall, at the top table. Jaime sat beside his father and allowed Brienne a seat beside him. There was nobody else in the hall. It seemed very silly to eat there at all. Surely there was a smaller room for the three of them. "So, Jaime," Tywin started and Brienne saw the coldness in his piercing blue eyes. She grappled for Jaime's hand under the table and he took it without looking at her. "Are you going to explain why you were suddenly ready to leave the Kingsguard after so many years of refusing me?"

Jaime glanced at Brienne. They were both sure that Tywin was going to guess as soon as he saw them together. "We got married four days ago, Father," Jaime said, bringing their interlaced hands above the table.

Tywin's lips twitched into as much of a smile as Brienne expected from him. "I suppose at least she is a lady, though you could have done better than a small holding like Tarth. It will strengthen our hold in the Stormlands." Brienne felt a surge of anger in her heart at the cold way with which he discussed her people.

Jaime gave his father a cold smile that reminded Brienne too much of the way that Cersei looked when she held court. She was not fond of the way Jaime was around his family, other than Tyrion. "I married Brienne because I am in love with her, Father."

Tywin nodded as though the information was irrelevant. Brienne wondered how her father would react if she were to tell him that the future Lord of Casterly Rock was in love with her. Excitement bubbled in her stomach. Perhaps she would convince Jaime to visit Tarth sooner rather than later. "Good. Children will come soon."

Jaime squeezed Brienne's hand. Her excitement was quickly replaced by nerves. The prospect of children was welcome, though daunting, and she knew that the pressure from Tywin Lannister and indeed from her father would be great.

They ate their food in relative silence after that. "What do you want to do this afternoon?" Jaime asked her, turning his back to his father. Brienne shook her head but her lips twitched. She wanted to fuck Jaime. She raised her eyebrows. Jaime wiped his mouth to hide his smirk. Then she opened her mouth and closed it again, a sudden thought occurring to her. "What?" Jaime asked.

Brienne shrugged. "Is there anywhere we can go cliff-jumping?"

When Jaime grinned, Brienne remembered exactly why she married this wonderful man.

XXX

"Just take off all of your clothes," Jaime encouraged, leaning back on his elbows as he watched his wife glance around the area, self-conscious in her smalls.

"I will not."

"Then I'll take them off you when we're in the ocean," he said, leaning back to catch some rays on his face. He almost expected the piece of clothing that hit him in the face. "Come on, Brienne, I would love to see you jump naked from this cliff. Then you'll be ready for me to fuck you when we're down there."

Jaime jumped up when she threw another piece of clothing at him, laughing. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She squirmed away. "What are you doing?" Jaime asked, amused.

"You're naked," she said distastefully. Jaime barked in laughter.

"I hate to inform you, sweetling, but I've been closer to you naked than this before," he teased her. She blushed and stood awkwardly. Jaime rolled his eyes. "Brienne, take your smalls off or don't. I'm going to fuck you in the sea either way. I've been dreaming of this since we left King's Landing."

When they jumped a few moments later, they were both entirely naked. Brienne laughed out loud as they jumped and Jaime screamed. He had not done this in a while. Somehow, it had not seemed like such an insane thing to do when he was younger.

They landed a few feet apart, their heads bobbing back up from underneath the water. Brienne was grinning, her eyes sparkling like the sea. Jaime brushed back the hair from his face, wishing his was braided like his wife's. He panted with the effort of forcing breath back into his lungs. Perhaps he was getting old. Brienne swam over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Struggling, husband?" she teased. Jaime scowled at her and she kissed him. Jaime had to push her off after a few seconds. His breath was still not steady. "What happened to fucking me the second we got down here?"

"I think I'm getting old," Jaime whined.

Brienne pursed her lips. "Don't be ridiculous. You're two-and-thirty."

"I can't believe you actually jumped naked," Jaime said, grinning. He had not expected to actually be able to convince her. "You're going to regret that when we're climbing back up."

Brienne only laughed, her eyes still dancing with wild joy. She was a mad woman. Jaime pressed a kiss to her lips and then moved his arms from her waist to her arse. She wrapped her legs around his waist, feeling weightless in the water. He'd never fucked anyone in the ocean before. If he had his way, this would become a more frequent thing, whether they lived in Casterly Rock or on Tarth. Though, perhaps, he would reach the ocean by a less heart-racing means. In a few years, a jump like that might finish him off.

"Did you ever think you'd be doing this when you were cliff-jumping on Tarth?" Jaime asked, pressing kisses to her neck. Brienne snorted and shook her head. "Good. I have no expectations to fulfil. Hopefully I won't drown us."

"You'd better not," Brienne laughed. "I'll leave you here."

Jaime gasped dramatically as he reached down between them and danced his fingers lightly over her clit. "You would never." Brienne moaned and Jaime thought that rather proved his point.

XXX

"How long do you want to stay here for?" Brienne asked, her head lying on Jaime's chest. After a rather satisfying if clumsy fuck in the ocean, they had swum over to a nearby cove and lain down on the sand together.

"Few hours," Jaime said, lazily playing with some of the hairs that had escaped from her braid. Brienne tapped his stomach.

"I mean Casterly Rock."

"Oh," Jaime said, scooching up on his elbows. Brienne turned over, disgruntled at him jerking her from her comfortable position. She could see him very well from this position, though, which made her revise her opinion on the matter. He was a rather wonderful specimen of man. "Are you quite finished checking me out, wife?" Jaime asked, smirking at her.

"No," Brienne replied honestly, leaning forward to press a kiss to his nipple. "But go on. How long do you want to stay here?"

"A week, perhaps?" Jaime suggested. "We can go to Lannisport and there's some other sweet villages we can visit. We don't have to spend all week with my father."

"Perfect," Brienne agreed, placing another open-mouthed kiss on his chest, over where she thought his heart was. She shuffled lower as she continued kissing in a line down, keeping eye contact with him. His smirk had turned positively lascivious. Brienne was sure he knew what she was planning to do. Even so, his groan was pleasantly surprised when she took his cock into her mouth.

XXX


	5. Chapter 5

The journey back to King's Landing was far less enjoyable than the journey there, likely due to the impending arrival back at court, with the gossip and scheming that that entailed, while their previous journey had only sex at the other end. Even so, they made good pace and made as few stops as possible, remembering the important work they had to do in King's Landing, the work that had given them a second chance.

And what a second chance it was. Jaime did not know what he had done that was so revered by the Seven that he was given this blessing. He had done very few good things in his previous life. Whatever it was, Jaime was unendingly grateful. He was married to a woman he loved with his whole heart, a woman who made him a better person with every second they spent together.

Now they were returning to King's Landing, to find what Tyrion had accomplished in their absence. Jaime was well aware they were returning to cruelty in court and undeniable anger from Cersei. It was not a pleasant prospect and, as they grew closer, he could feel Brienne tensing in anticipation. They were only hours away now and not days as they had been.

Jaime glanced at his wife. She did look the picture of a knight on her horse. Jaime had found some armour at Casterly Rock and had it adjusted for her so that she could look like his lady knight, like she had at Winterfell. Brienne had appreciated the gesture very much. Jaime wished he could do more, could shield her from the terrible things people would say in court, from whatever Cersei was already planning.

Jaime knew that his sister was only a few moon turns away from murdering her husband, the King of the Seven Kingdoms. She would likely think little of murdering Jaime's wife, who she would think had spurred Jaime on to begin rejecting her. Jaime's stomach squirmed at the possibility. He wasn't sure what to do about it, whether employing guards and a taster for Brienne's food would draw unwanted attention to who Jaime was protecting her from. And, with Jon Arryn so close to discovering Jaime's secret, that was not something they needed.

Shaking his head, Jaime focussed on the road before him and the horse beneath him. He'd allow himself a few hours of peace before being thrust back into the cesspit that was King's Landing.

XXX

Tyrion greeted them at the entrance to the Red Keep. His grave face spurred Jaime to jump down from his horse and approach him alone, Brienne not far behind. "Lady Lysa and Littlefinger are dead," Tyrion said lowly. Jaime closed his eyes. He heard Brienne inhale sharply behind him.

"What happened?" Jaime asked. He turned to give his manservant a nod to ensure he took their horses and belongings to where they should be. Tyrion led them into the Red Keep. He looked older than when they had left, though Jaime hoped it was just the beard he had grown rather than the stress that Jaime had laid upon him.

Tyrion only shook his head. He didn't continue speaking until they had reached Jaime and Brienne's chambers and the three were sitting in front of the empty fire. "Jon Arryn realised that his wife was plotting to kill him."

Jaime and Brienne shared a look. Neither knew whether that had changed in this timeline or if he had known in the last timeline but had been unable to stop it. "What did he do?" Jaime was surprised that Arryn had taken such drastic measures against his wife. He imagined that the Hand would have had her arrested and imprisoned, perhaps sent to the Silent Sisters.

"They were arrested, Lysa and Littlefinger. They found them dead the next day. It looks like Lysa killed Littlefinger and then finished herself off," Tyrion said grimly. Jaime felt his throat burn with revulsion. Lysa Tully had never been entirely together in the head but this was new levels of madness. Jaime found Tyrion looking at him as though he wanted to say more. Jaime nodded forcefully, his brow furrowed. "He- Jaime, he already knew about the children." Tyrion said it apologetically, with a sigh. None of that made it better.

Jaime's head fell into his hands. He felt Brienne's hand move to his leg. Jaime swallowed and looked up, taking Brienne's hand in his. Despite it all, he could not regret leaving and marrying Brienne. She was all he wanted. He interlaced their fingers, enjoying the soothing way their callouses rubbed together.

"What are you going to do?" Tyrion asked, uncharacteristically grave. Jaime sighed. He just wanted to curl up in bed with his wife. He brushed his thumb across the piece of skin between Brienne's forefinger and thumb.

"Go and see Arryn, I suppose," Jaime said, not taking his eyes from the rough skin of Brienne's hands and his fingers, more tanned, poking between hers. "We have to protect the children."

Tyrion left soon after that, telling them that they looked well and welcoming Brienne to their family by calling her sister. Jaime collapsed into Brienne's arms, burying his face in her breasts and circling his arms around her waist so that he was clinging to her. She threaded her fingers in his hair and held tight, anchoring him.

"Let's go to bed," Brienne whispered. "We'll fix all of this in the morning."

It was barely evening but Jaime was only too happy to follow his wife to bed and lie in her arms. They'd fix the world in the morning.

XXX

Jon Arryn was not surprised to see Jaime, though his face did register surprise at Brienne's appearance. "This must be the new Lady Lannister," he said, inclining his head towards Brienne. "I was surprised to hear you had left the Kingsguard to get married, Ser Jaime, given that Kingsguards serve for life."

His words were not a surprise to Jaime, nor was the judgmental tone that accompanied them. Jaime's father had ensured that Jaime's Kingsguard dismissal was honourable and that it was made clear that he was doing it for love. Brienne found the notion of the court gossips talking about their great love affair very amusing. Jaime reminded her that it was a great love affair and she had sent a huge splash of water towards him. Jaime's heart yearned to be back at Casterly Rock, doing nothing but relax with his wife.

"Love makes fools of us all, Lord Arryn," Jaime said with a sardonic smile. Brienne pursed her lips. "I think we need to talk."

"Do we?" Arryn said, quirking an eyebrow. Jaime scowled.

"The children are innocent." Arryn said nothing. Jaime fumbled for Brienne's hand under the desk, needing her security. "The- Tommen and Myrcella are innocent. They do not deserve their heads on pikes."

"No," Arryn finally agreed with a nod. "You are quite right. The children should not have to suffer for the sins of their father." He met Jaime's eyes and Jaime felt the full force of his revulsion.

"If Robert knew, he would kill them." Arryn nodded again. "I am laying my life before you here, Lord Arryn. I am trusting you. What would you do in my position?"

Arryn levelled him with a stare that reminded Jaime that he was certainly not liked by this man. Brienne was squeezing his hand very tightly. Jaime knew that she was taut with tension, ready to jump up and protect him at any moment. That morning, she had suggested that they get Tommen and Myrcella and run away to Essos and screw the rest. Jaime had reminded her about Sansa and their need to protect her. Even that had not entirely dimmed her want to go.

It was a decent back-up plan.

"To protect the children, you will take them to Casterly Rock. Robert will divorce Cersei and send her to be a silent sister and disown the children. He will need to remarry but I do not see that being a problem"

Jaime furrowed his brow, considering each element of the plan. "And me? Robert will surely kill me for this."

Arryn shook his head. "It's in Robert's best interest for this not to come out. It would unman him in the eyes of the Kingdom and it would almost certainly take your father's money away from the crown. No, I will convince Robert that the children should be disowned and Cersei cast out. There will be rumours but we will do our best to keep it under our hats."

Jaime parted his lips involuntarily. This all seemed wrong. Jon Arryn was such an honourable man that he was willing to protect the children, even to the extent that Jaime went free too. "You are certain that Robert will not harm the children?" Jaime ascertained, holding onto his wife's hand for dear life, grateful that Arryn could not see the tension in their hands under the table. Brienne's breathing was unsteady next to him. He was sure she too could not believe it.

"I swear it," Arryn said solemnly of the children's safety. A lump grew in Jaime's throat as he thought of the children. He could only nod at the Hand and close his eyes against the tears welling in his eyes. How long had he lived in fear of this discovery? He had just been such a bitter, sinful man that he had not imagined such an honourable man that would put the lives of two innocent children before the justice system. Jaime wondered if things would be different if he had not married Brienne, whether Arryn would have trusted him to take the children quietly if he had not left Cersei.

He supposed he'd never know. He could spend his life wondering that, especially now that he'd been given this gift of a second chance from the Gods. Opening his eyes, Jaime found Brienne staring at him. He smiled softly and nodded. They had their lives to live.

XXX

"Jaime," Brienne groaned when he tossed over yet again. Every time Brienne got close to sleep, her irritating husband would turn over and disrupt her.

"I'm sorry," Jaime whispered. Brienne turned to him and cupped his face in her hands. He was growing his beard, something Brienne approved of mightily, and the stubble scratching her hands.

"What is wrong?" Brienne asked, meeting his green eyes. Even in the dark, she could see that his entire face was downcast. He sighed and shrugged out of her hold, sitting up and shifting away from her.

Brienne waited for him to speak. Jaime hesitated and then looked at her reluctantly. "I don't want to upset you." Brienne blinked and almost immediately shook her head.

"No, tell me," she said, her voice shaking ever so slightly. He was sitting up in bed beside her. She wondered briefly if this was what he had looked like as he had been about to leave her at Winterfell. With a swallow, she rid herself of that thought. She trusted her husband. "Jaime, you can tell me anything."

"What Cersei and I did was wrong," Jaime said bluntly. Brienne didn't dare move. They had had conversations like this before, of course, but his bringing it up again suggested that he had something new to say. "I know that what we did was wrong and I understand that we should both be punished." Brienne furrowed her brow, shifting closer to him, unsure why. Perhaps she was readying herself to stop him leaving, catch him by the wrist and force him to stay with her.

"Jaime," Brienne said but Jaime shook his head.

"I can't stop thinking about how much this is going to hurt her," Jaime said and Brienne's heart broke as a sob tore from his throat. She moved even closer and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding his head into her shoulder.

"It's okay to be sad, Jaime," Brienne murmured soothingly, hating the sound of his sobs. His love for Cersei could never just disappear. Brienne had made her peace with that, truly. She hated her with all of her soul for everything she had done to Jaime, to the realm in general truly, but she would always be a part of Jaime. And, as his wife, Brienne had to care for that part of his life too. "She- it's okay to be sad."

Jaime tore his head from her shoulder and looked her in the eye. His eyes glimmered with the tears that had wet her sleep shirt, one of his anyway. "I love you," he said, rather intensely. Brienne could never keep her smile in when he said that. "You know that this doesn't change how I feel about you."

"I know," Brienne said softly, brushing her hand through his hair. She pressed the side of her head softly to his forehead. "I love you, Jaime."

Jaime sighed and pressed his face back into her shoulder. "How am I going to tell her?" he asked, the sound muffled against fabric. Brienne didn't answer. She wasn't sure if he expected an answer and she definitely did not have one to give.

XXX

It was the middle of the night, the full moon in the sky over the keep at Winterfell, when the raven arrived. Maester Luwin left them with the missive. Ned tore the scroll from Catelyn's hands when he saw the ominous seal of Jon Arryn. They had been expecting this scroll for a few days now, to give the news of Arryn's death, just as it had been in the past.

Catelyn fell to the floor when Ned told her, reaching out behind her for the bedframe which was too far. Her whole body seemed to collapse into itself. "Lysa is dead?"

Ned nodded gravely, kindness shining in his eyes. "Suicide after killing Petyr Baelish." A broken gasp came from Catelyn's mouth. At least Ned had not masked the truth. Her sister was not only dead but the murderer of their childhood friend. From the scroll, Ned read the full story, as Jon had written it. It was an unfeeling letter but Catelyn could not blame the man. Lysa had been trying to kill him. And now he was alive when he shouldn't be and Lysa was dead when she should not be.

"I knew that she was unstable," Catelyn said, a tremor in her voice, "but murder? Suicide?" Catelyn closed her eyes, tears squeezing out from the edges. "Does he say anything else?" Catelyn asked with a dull voice.

Ned hesitated and Catelyn opened her eyes again. "Jaime Lannister is married."

A feeling of dread unfurled in Catelyn's chest. "Who to?" she asked urgently. Ned shrugged.

"Lady Brienne of Tarth, not that means much to me-" Catelyn's gasp cut Ned off. She shook her head hurriedly, standing and snatching the letter from Ned. She read the detail at the end of the letter herself, just one sentence mentioning that Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, had left the Kingsguard and married a young nobody from Tarth.

"Ned, Ned, it's not just us."

Catelyn and Ned had been dealing with their sudden return from the dead for a few months, had been making plans with the idea that they were here alone, burdened with very few details of the past.

"Who else? Jaime Lannister?" Catelyn heard every ounce of hatred in her husband's voice. She nodded, worrying her bottom lip. "How do you know, Cat?" he growled.

Catelyn sighed. "They should not have met yet. Brienne- she was my sworn sword. She is a phenomenal fighter. When Robb refused to trade the Kingslayer for the girls," Catelyn said, slightly reluctantly, "I freed him and sent him to King's Landing, with Brienne as his captor."

Ned's face was severe. "And you are sure they had never met?" Catelyn nodded again. "Then this must be their work. She must have betrayed you in the last life, Cat, if she has married him now, and she has betrayed you in this life too. It must be their fault that Lysa is dead."

Catelyn did not want to believe that. She remembered the homely girl she had met, so honourable and sure in her abilities. She had trusted her with her life. The thought that she had married Jaime Lannister repulsed Catelyn. "We'll have to go, Ned," Catelyn said. Ned nodded. There was no other option. "We'll take the children too, leave on the morrow."

"To King's Landing," Ned said, his mouth in a grim line. With a final bitter sigh, Catelyn slumped.


	6. Chapter 6

Jaime's hands shook against his knees. He glanced up at the door that he was waiting to open. Cersei was meeting with somebody else first, though goodness knew who. Jaime's cynical mind convinced him that it was a man, someone she was fucking. After all, what else would she be doing? She was either fucking or plotting. They were the only two things that Cersei ever did.

His return from Casterly Rock had not been a smooth one. Not only had they returned to find Lysa Arryn and Baelish dead but Jon Arryn also knew about Cersei and Jaime's affair and the children that had resulted from it.

And, now, it was Jaime's job to inform Cersei of what had been decided for her life, without any of her input. Whenever Jaime considered that it was unfair that he and Jon Arryn had made all the decisions for Cersei, he had to remind himself that she had taken the bigger risks in their affair. Though Jaime had committed treason too, it was Cersei who was the queen, who should have been untouchable. Jaime sighed. None of that would be enough for Cersei when he had to tell her that she had to spend the rest of her life as a silent sister.

The door finally cracked open and a man emerged, looking distinctly dishevelled. Jaime could have groaned. She had not taken long to replace Jaime. Clearly, she had no comprehension of what was coming. Or she did and had decided that nothing worse could happen now, so she may as well take as many people down with her while she did. It did seem like quite a Cersei thing to do and Jaime almost hoped that he was right. It would be far easier to explain things to Cersei if she already knew.

Jaime strode into Cersei's chambers. She sat at her dressing table, powder in hand. She met his eyes in the mirror and the smirk that curled onto her lips made Jaime feel slightly nauseous. "Come crawling back, brother?"

Jaime could see the crumpled sheets on her bed. "I need to talk to you, Cersei."

Cersei raised one eyebrow, feigning disinterest. "Is this about your ugly wife? Is she pregnant? Don't feel you have to protect my feelings, Jaime. That went out of the window the day you cast me from your room to marry a cow." Jaime tamped down his anger at Cersei's words. He did not want to argue, not before he told her what was going to happen. "Is she a bad fuck? Do you picture me when you close your eyes?"

Jaime pressed his lips together. "Cersei, I tried to protect our secret." Her face dropped. He could see the alarm in her eyes. "Jon Arryn knows about the children and he is going to tell Robert."

A breath came out of Cersei, shocked. He had never seen her look so vulnerable, not since they were children. She turned in the chair. "Has he told him yet? We can kill him. Jaime, you have to protect us."

Jaime shook his head, looking down at the floor, a flood of shame taking over him. He had never wanted things to end this way, even when he had stopped sleeping with Cersei. This seemed like an unbelievable cruelty. "I made a deal," he said quietly. Cersei froze. He saw fear tinged with anger in her eyes. "The children will come to Casterly Rock with Brienne and I."

"And me?" his sister demanded.

"You'll become a silent sister."

The sound that came out of his sister's mouth was inhuman, a groan of utter despair. Jaime curled his hands into fists. "I'm sorry-"

"Don't tell me you're sorry," she snapped. "You chose your life with your ugly wife over me. You chose that cow, a lifetime of being with a homely, dull beast over your family, your sister, your children."

"Cersei, I never wanted-"

She looked up at him, fiery anger burning in her eyes. "Get out."

"Cersei-"

"Get out!" she roared.

Jaime nodded, going to the door. One hand on the handle, he turned to look at her. There were tears on her cheeks. Jaime hated himself. He had chosen Brienne over his family and he would do it again, but that didn't mean it was easy. He had loved Cersei once and he loved her still, albeit in a different way. His actions had been to save the children and himself, at the expense of Cersei's freedom and happiness.

XXX

Brienne held Jaime's hand firmly as they watched Robert rise from the Iron Throne. They both knew what was coming. They both knew why the space beside Robert on the dais, where one would usually find a queen, was empty. Jaime's grip was tight. Brienne was glad that she did not have to peer over the top of people's heads.

Upon hearing a clearing of a throat, Brienne turned to find Tyrion at her side, glancing at Jaime with worry. Brienne understood the worry. She felt the same way every time she looked at him. She knew that it had not been easy for him. They had watched Cersei leave yesterday, her carriages trailing behind her and, even when she was far gone, Jaime still stood and watched, his guilt palpable in the room.

"The children are going to be in your chambers after this," Tyrion told Brienne, his voice loud to be heard over the clamour of the room. Brienne nodded and, with one last look at Jaime, Tyrion scuttered away. He had been a great help to them through this and it was always good to have someone clever on side, especially someone who had few scruples like Tyrion.

Brienne tapped her fingers against her thighs, listening to Robert's explanation and his delegitimization of Cersei. He didn't name Jaime as Cersei's lover and the children's father. Part of Brienne wondered whether Jon Arryn had even told him. It would be easier to protect the children and Jaime by not telling him.

Brienne hardly listened to the rest, only passively paying attention for Jaime's name, just in case, but he was not mentioned at all, not even as the new guardian of Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella. She supposed that nobody would care what happened to them now and, given that there was no blood between them and the king, only a fool would use them in a rebellion now. Brienne and Jaime would take care that no such fools were admitted into Casterly Rock.

When Robert was finally finished, there was a great cry for him, a roaring cheer that followed his declaration that the throne would not be cheated, that the Baratheon bloodline would go on. Brienne and Jaime clapped too, so as not to be seen as not to agree. Neither of them wanted anything to do with the throne and no part of their family would try for it, ever again.

"Come on," Jaime murmured then. "Let's go." Brienne nodded and they headed out, within the crowd. Everyone at court would be gossiping. Brienne could already see some people watching them, though, admittedly, that might have more to do with the shock that still reverberated from Jaime Lannister leaving the kingsguard to marry a homely woman.

They found the children in their chambers, as Tyrion had informed Brienne, but Tyrion was there too, his face grave. "What?" Jaime asked immediately, his voice slightly hoarse.

"Why am I here?" Joffrey demanded. "Is it not enough that I will not be king, I have to spend time with freaks too?" He sniffed over at Brienne. Jaime sneered at his son.

"That's enough, Joffrey," Jaime said. Brienne didn't truly care. She hated Joffrey for far more important reasons than a few occasional insults. His treatment of Sansa had been given in detail to her, back at Winterfell, and she would never forgive him for it. "What is it, Tyrion?"

"The Starks are coming."

Brienne's eyes widened. "All of them?" she asked quietly. Tyrion shook his head.

"They have a rule that there must always be a Stark in Winterfell, so the youngest two are to stay behind, but the rest are coming." Brienne furrowed her brow. She could see them bringing Robb and Sansa, but what had Arya to do with anything? "He's bringing the bastard too."

Jaime narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Tyrion shook his head. "I suppose we won't know until they arrive, but Lady Stark will be mourning for her sister."

Brienne nodded. Lady Lysa's death had been a shock in King's Landing, especially because she had killed herself and Petyr Baelish too. Her wake had been understated and she was not buried in the Sept of Baelor but sent back to Riverrun. Septs did not allow deaths by suicide to be celebrated in their buildings.

"I'll leave you," Tyrion said, bowing his head on the way out. Brienne almost wished he wouldn't leave. His sarcasm was a good barrier for the awkwardness between them all.

"Why has Mother been sent away?" Tommen asked quietly before anyone else could speak. He watched Jaime with childlike innocence. Brienne's heart broke for the little boy who loved his mother, but would never be able to see her again. She almost hoped none of the children would look to her as their mother. She would not want to disappoint them.

Jaime sighed. "Your mother made some mistakes."

"Are you our father?" Myrcella asked, her head cocked to one side. Brienne grasped Jaime's forearm as his eyes bulged.

"Don't be disgusting, Myrcella," Joffrey sneered. "That would be like you and I having a child. Mother would not be so vile."

Jaime cleared his throat. "Your father doesn't matter." Brienne slid her hands down to Jaime's hand and he interlaced his fingers with yours. "You're going to come to Casterly Rock with Brienne and I."

"Why?" Tommen said. "Why can't we go with Mother?"

"Your mother is going to somewhere where men aren't allowed and even the women there are not allowed to speak."

"Why?" Tommen repeated.

Jaime sighed. "When we make mistakes, Tommen, we have to be punished for them." Brienne looked up at Jaime. She knew that he felt enormous guilt at not being punished alongside Cersei, but she was immensely grateful to Jon Arryn for protecting him.

"When are we going?" Myrcella asked, her face drawn and sad. She was very beautiful, her face the picture of Cersei and Jaime's.

"You're going now," Jaime said, drawing Brienne's eyes to him in shock. "Brienne and I are going to stay for a while longer and see Lord and Lady Stark." This was news to Brienne, but she was glad. It would be a gift to see Lady Catelyn again, even if she did not know who Brienne was.

"Are we going alone?" Tommen asked, his eyes wide.

Jaime shook his head. "No, don't worry. I'll talk to Addam Marbrand and he can escort you back."

Tommen grinned. "Okay. I like Addam. He helps me chase cats." Joffrey scoffed. Brienne glanced at Jaime, wishing she could read his mind. He smiled at her.

XXX

Jaime was still quiet when they fell into bed together that night, the sun hardly having set. They were both tired but not enough to sleep so they just lay there in each other's arms, Brienne's flung across Jaime's stomach and her body pressed against his side with her head on his shoulder.

"Do you think we'll have our own children?" he asked, his voice slightly gravelly. Brienne propped her head up on his shoulder bone.

"I want to," she admitted. Jaime nodded, his eyes not on her but on the canopy above their bed.

"Me too." He was silent for a moment. Brienne didn't want to get her hopes up in case he was about to add a 'but' to his statement. "I feel like I've given you a life you didn't ask for." Brienne sat up properly at that and he followed her up with a sigh. She turned so that she was facing him, her feet against their pillows while his were against the end of the bed.

"What do you mean?"

Jaime sighed again. "When you married me, this wasn't what I thought it would be like. I thought we'd make sure that Cersei didn't kill Robert and then we'd just let the world play out and we could live a life of our own. That's not what I'm giving you. I wanted to give you a life of happiness and laughter and good sex." He smirked, making Brienne feel better about his mental state. She smiled too. "I just feel like I cheated you into a harder life."

Brienne shook her head. "Jaime, I didn't sign up to a perfect life. It's complicated with Joffrey and Tommen and Myrcella but it's not awful. It's important that we look after them. They are your children."

Jaime looked down at his lap. "With Cersei," he whispered. "Not with you. I - Do you not feel as though they remind you that I was with Cersei before you? Of who I was before you?"

Brienne nodded. "Of course they remind me of that, Jaime," she said honestly, "but that doesn't matter to me. You are who you are now and I love you."

Jaime lifted his hands to his eyes, pressing the heels there. Brienne was slightly shocked by him crying. "I just feel like I'm letting you down." Brienne felt tears well in her own eyes. "I don't want you to think that I don't love you because I feel guilty over Cersei. I don't want you to be reminded that I nearly left you because of Cersei, because you have to see her children every day." He looked up. "Every day, Brienne. They'll be there every day. If you want to leave, if you want to go to Tarth, you can. You can go."

Brienne pursed her lips and looked away. "Jaime, I'm your wife," she said tersely.

"But you didn't ask for-"

"I asked to be your wife," she interrupted, looking him in his eyes. "I am going to stay with you, no matter how much I see of Cersei in your children, no matter how upset you are that she left, no matter how many times you say that I can go, because I am your wife and I love you." Jaime looked at her, eyes still wet. She moved her legs so that they swung over him, pulling him close. "If you had not felt anything as Cersei left, Jaime, you would not be the man I love. I will probably never forget that you nearly left me, but I have forgiven you."

"Really?" he asked, his brow creased ever so slightly.

"I love you," was her only answer.

"I love you too," he replied, pushing their foreheads together.

"We're going to do this together, going to look after the children together, figure it out together."

"Joffrey-"

Brienne cut him off with a shake of her head. "Not tonight. We'll discuss Joffrey another time. Tonight I want to love you."

Jaime smiled, not quite a smirk, and, rather than pulling away from their forehead touch, he pushed the rest of their faces even closer and kissed her, his arms looping around her waist. Brienne was reminded, yet again, how much she loved this man and how much she was willing to do, provided that she was with him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Why are they coming?" Brienne asked, pacing desperately in the chambers that she and Jaime shared. Jaime sighed, slumped against the end of their bed frame.

"I don't know, sweetling. Can we go to bed? I'm exhausted," Jaime complained. Brienne shot him a glare and he put his hands up. "Come here." Brienne looked reluctant but Jaime just stared at her until she approached. Jaime wrapped his arms around her waist and sighed contently as he buried his face in her chest. She smelled of sweat. Jaime kissed the skin that was exposed by the undone laces on her shirt.

"What if-"

"We'll find out when they arrive tomorrow, Brienne," Jaime interrupted her. For the past two weeks, since they had found out that Lord and Lady Stark were on their way to Winterfell, Brienne had been worrying about this. Only fucking or fighting could distract her. Brienne's main theory was that the Starks had come back in time too. Jaime personally just thought that Catelyn Stark was coming to pay respects to her dead sister, even though it had been weeks since the quiet funeral for the disgraced Lady Lysa Arryn.

Jaime felt Brienne nod against his head. He smiled and pulled away from her breasts. "Now, can we either fuck or sleep?" Brienne scoffed in surprise at his comment, making Jaime grin. She pursed her lips and pulled away from him. Jaime followed her eagerly.

XXX

It wasn't very many hours later that Jaime and Brienne were awoken, eyes blinking blearily into the darkness as their minds began to comprehend what had woken them: knocking at their door. Brienne groaned. Jaime's lips twitched. She was so grumpy when her sleep was interrupted. Jaime pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I'll sort it. It's probably just Tyrion, pissed."

Brienne closed her eyes and gave him a sleepy smile before turning over. Jaime slipped out of bed and picked up his breeches, discarded lazily a few hours previously. When they were on, he made his way to the door, where the incessant knocking had increased in volume. "What is it-" Jaime cut himself off upon seeing who was at the door. It was not Tyrion at all.

It was the Starks.

Catelyn Stark barged past him without any remorse. Ned then did the same, following his wife into Jaime's chambers. Jaime blinked, glanced out of the door and then closed it, rubbing his eyes with a hand.

"Did you know each other before?" Catelyn hissed. Jaime saw, in the corner of his eye, Brienne sit up sharply, somehow managing to keep the duvet up, covering her naked chest.

Jaime sighed. Clearly Brienne had been right. He picked a shirt up from the floor and pulled it onto his body, not answering Catelyn who was tapping her foot at him. Jaime found a second shirt and glanced down at it, squinting in the darkness, before looking at the shirt he'd put on, now fairly certain it was Brienne's. He shrugged to himself and chucked the shirt in his hands at Brienne. "So, I'm assuming you are also from the future," Jaime said, though he did not look at them, preoccupied with searching for a firelighter for the candles. Jaime chuckled. "Although, let's be honest, Lord Stark, you're not from very far into the future."

Ned Stark growled at him just as Jaime found something to light the candles with. When he did so, he found Brienne with the shirt in her hand, still staring at Ned and Catelyn. "Brienne, clothes," Jaime said, snapping his fingers in front of her face, half bent down to light another candle. Brienne nodded, still distracted and then, because she was mystifyingly amazing in all ways, somehow managed to pull a shirt on without showing her breasts to Ned and Catelyn.

"Are you going to answer my question, Lannister?" Catelyn asked, the same anger in her voice as the last time they had spoken, as Jaime found a pair of breeches for Brienne and threw them at her.

"We did not know each other when we met, no," Jaime said, finally settling down on the chaise longue. "Are you going to sit down?" he said, gesturing to the two armchairs by the fire. "I imagine we're going to be here for some time."

Catelyn sat down first, not ceasing in her questioning. "You mean to tell me that you what? Fell in love while she was your captor?" Catelyn scoffed, her eyes narrowed.

Jaime smiled as Brienne finally found her way to his side, her face still very confused by this turn of events, despite the fact she had predicted it. "You don't know how much further in history we are from," Jaime said, spreading an arm around her shoulders. "It took some time." Brienne snorted. Jaime scowled at her.

"How much further are you from?" Ned Stark asked, leaning his hands on the back of the armchair rather than just sitting down.

Jaime was not actually entirely sure. He shrugged. "Maybe three years after Catelyn's death."

Brienne shook her head. "Three and a half."

Jaime rolled his eyes. "Okay, three and a half." Catelyn looked between them curiously.

"What happened to my sister?" Catelyn asked. Her jaw was set. Jaime felt a pang of guilt for not being here to ensure that nothing terrible happened, not that he truly saw Lysa Arryn and Littlefinger as losses to the world. But Catelyn had been murdered, after watching her son and gooddaughter die too, and she had got a second chance and lost her sister before even reuniting with her. That did seem quite cruel.

Jaime hesitated and Brienne filled in the gap. "We weren't here. We went to get married." She said it as though she was daring them to judge them for it. Jaime grinned at her.

"Dear Gods, you really are in love," Catelyn said and Jaime and Brienne whirled around. Catelyn sounded shocked, horrified almost, her eyes were wide watching them.

"What did you think when we got married?" Jaime asked with amusement. Catelyn just shook her head.

"I just- when you met, you-"

"Yes, well," Jaime interrupted, scratching the back of his head. Brienne looked at him, her lips twitching. Jaime well remembered what he had said to Brienne when they had met, regretted those words now, regretted the person he had been then. "Things changed. There were some incidents." Brienne snorted. Jaime grabbed her hand impulsively and rubbed his thumb over her calloused palm.

"And when did you decide to stop fucking your sister?" Ned Stark said in that deep gravelly voice. Jaime groaned.

"Gods, I remember why I hated you," he said. Brienne hit him immediately, a hard poke to the stomach that made him turn to her and frown. "What?" Jaime said defensively. "You have to be on my side. You're my wife. This is what you signed up for."

"I did not sign up for this, whatsoever," Brienne retorted and she gave the bed a longing look. Jaime could have pretended she was looking at it, thinking of sex, but he knew well that she just wanted to go to bed and deal with Ned and Catelyn in the morning. Jaime chuckled through his nose.

"Right, let's get on with this," Jaime said, losing the smile. "I assume you've heard that Cersei has been sent to be a silent sister."

Jaime had not heard a word from his sister since he told her what was going to happen. None of it had worked. Jaime had kept up his poker face and then they had essentially dragged her away. Jaime had hated every second of it. He'd watched her leave, his heart aching with guilt. Brienne had been by his second for every second of it.

"And the three children are going to Casterly Rock, yes," Ned said, giving Jaime a dirty look that Jaime ignored. "How did you get away scot-free, Lannister?" he growled.

Jaime swallowed. Over time he had forgotten how much he disliked Ned Stark, how much seeing him reminded him of that day when he had killed Aerys. Brienne rubbed their palms together and Jaime smiled at the sensation. He'd been asking himself Ned's question since his meeting with Jon Arryn. Originally he had thought it fair, because Cersei had done some terrible things. But, at this point, before she had even killed Robert, what had she done that was so terrible? Yes, Jaime was sure that she had killed people but so had he. So had Robert, so had most people in court. That was nothing on the grand scale of things.

Jaime had thought about it and thought about it and realised that Cersei's crime was being a woman. The king could have his affairs, the kingsguard could break their vows of chastity, any man could go to the whorehouse and not be judged. But the second a woman stepped out of place, the second a woman so much as looked at another man, she was condemned. And when that action was made by a queen? What Cersei had done was treason. It was the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms having an affair.

And Jaime had committed treason as well, of course he had. But he was a man and it was expected of a man to sleep with a woman, any woman. Yes, if things were different, and Arryn had not been so honourable to allow Jaime to protect the children, to claim the children as wards of House Lannister, if the crown was not so fucking reliant on the Lannister money, then Jaime would have been strung up. Cersei likely would have been killed too if it were not for the gold mines of Casterly Rock. Instead, because of Jaime's male privilege and the wonder of being born a lion, Jaime had been let off essentially scot-free, as Ned said.

Jaime shook his head. Brienne looked at him with amusement. She had enjoyed his rant about how women could not get away with anything, even if it had included parts about Cersei. "Your pal Arryn is as honourable as you are." Jaime didn't say it as an insult, not anymore. Ned Stark only narrowed his eyes at him.

"And when are you going to join the children?" Ned asked. Jaime swallowed.

"After Robert's wedding. My father thinks it prudent that someone from House Lannister be there."

"And the future?" Catelyn demanded.

Jaime closed his eyes against the rush of nerves that that question brought forth. He opened them as Brienne answered, "we're going to do our best but there is only so much that can be done."

"You have to tell us what happened then we can work together." Ned nodded along with his wife's statement. Jaime and Brienne shared a look and then they began to speak, sharing the story between them. They told a story similar to the one that they had told Tyrion, though they said little of their children's trials. Brienne mentionned none of the rape that Sansa had endured and only some of her marriage to Jaime's brother, deciding between them that there were some things better off left in the past.

XXX

"With Cersei stopped, is that enough?" Lady Catelyn asked. Jaime shrugged. Brienne imagined that the thought that Cersei was the only thing wrong with the Seven Kingdoms was an uncomfortable thought for her husband. "If we make sure that Robert understands the threat of the dead, is that enough?" Lady Catelyn pressed.

Jaime and Brienne shared a helpless look. "Daenerys Targaryen is essentially an unknown quantity," Brienne said carefully. "She could be cruel and she could be kind. She- well, we were sent back before we knew whether she defeated Cersei or not and whether or not she was a good queen."

The Starks shared a look, exchanging words with their eyes as only a long-married couple could. "So, Daenerys Targaryen and the dead above the wall," Lord Stark said grimly. "What else?"

"In a few years, a wildling army will mass that Stannis would subdue," Brienne said as she considered slowly what things would change without Joffrey on the throne, without the War of the Five Kings. "Without Stannis, the men at the wall will be slaughtered. Your son, Lord Stark, did his best to fight it but failed."

"Jon?" Lord Stark said and Brienne nodded. She had already explained about Jon becoming the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. Lord Stark inclined his head. "I will speak with Robert about sending troops to the Wall, perhaps on rotation, and, then, I suppose it will just be waiting for Robert to have a son."

Brienne felt uneasy about that. Even if Robert provided an heir within the year, which was likely with Robert's track record, Robert was not a healthy man. He would leave a child as an heir, ready to be manipulated by men. The kingdom needed a strong king, not a babe with a regent.

"There's another option," Brienne said quietly. It was not a betrayal of Sansa if she said this now, she decided. The Sansa that she knew was gone, never to return. And it was likely that Sansa would have shared this herself anyway, if she had been here to speak with her parents.

Lady Catelyn looked at Brienne shrewdly. "I thought we had decided that Daenerys was too much of a risk."

Brienne nodded and looked into Lord Stark's eyes. She had not even told Jaime this yet. "Lord Stark, we both know that there is another option."

"No," Lord Stark snapped and she saw the anger on his face there. He knew what she knew. He looked at his wife and Brienne thought of the woman who had spent her whole marriage believing her husband to be unfaithful. Brienne looked away and found Jaime's eyes on her, curious. She hoped he wouldn't be angry that she hadn't told him.

"Jon will grow up to be a good man," Brienne said quietly.

"No," he said again and this time he didn't turn to his wife, though Brienne saw his face twitch as though he wanted to. "I swore to-"

"You swore to protect him," Brienne cut him off, "not to keep him from his birthright."

"He is a Stark," Lord Stark said and his voice was filled with quiet anger, his eyes with warning.

"He is a Targaryen," Brienne said and then looked at Lady Catelyn. "My lady, the boy you believe to be your husband's bastard is truly his nephew."

"How can you know this?" Lord Stark interrupted her, his eyebrows furrowed. "Was it Howland Reed?"

Brienne shook her head. "Your son, Bran, he sees things- saw things," Brienne corrected, glancing at Jaime. Now that Jaime had not thrown him from a window, who knew where his life trajectory would lead?

"Sees things?" Lady Catelyn repeated, her mouth slightly agape. Her voice had a shrill tone to it, almost hysterical.

Brienne shrugged helplessly. "I don't know entirely. Lady Sansa told me that he sees things in the past, anywhere in the present and sometimes in the future. She told me that he saw Jon born, saw your battle with Arthur Dayne, my lord," Brienne said to Lord Stark, whose face blanched. "Jon told Lady Sansa and Lady Arya after Bran told him. Jon's friend found the marriage certificate in the Citadel."

"Whose marriage certificate?" Lady Catelyn demanded, looking at her husband. "Ned, what is she talking about?"

Lord Stark's hands were shaking. Lady Catelyn grasped them. "Jon," he said before clearing his throat. "Jon is Lyanna's son, with Rhaegar."

Lady Catelyn dropped Lord Stark's hands. Brienne felt as though she were intruding on a private moment between husband and wife. She turned to Jaime and found him shocked. Nodding slightly, she remembered that Jaime had served Rhaegar, had likely believed him to be a rapist and kidnapper despite all the kindness he had seen. Perhaps she should have told him sooner.

"Lyanna was kidnapped," Lady Catelyn protested, drawing Jaime and Brienne's eyes back to her. Lord Stark shook his head. "She- she loved him?" Lord Stark's nod confirmed it. Lady Catelyn closed her eyes, likely to hide her tears. "And Jon," she said, before cutting herself off. "Oh, Ned," she said and began to weep.

Brienne heard Jaime swallow beside her and found his eyes on his lap, clearly feeling like Brienne that they were part of something they shouldn't be.

"You want to put him on the throne?" Lady Catelyn asked Brienne, her voice thick with tears. Brienne's eyes widened. The Jon she knew, the Jon who had accepted her as part of the Stark family without question, would have hated her for this. Her heart twinged with self-hatred.

"It is an option," was all she said.

"It is the only option," Jaime suddenly spoke up. Brienne whirled around to him. "Rhaegar was my prince. He was the heir to the Seven Kingdoms. He should have never been killed. He would have been a good king and his son should sit the throne."

Brienne rarely saw Jaime quite so passionate as this. "He won't thank us for it," Brienne said, biting her lip. Lady Catelyn looked at Brienne curiously. "He hated all the power on him. When they made him King in the North, he hated it."

"But he did it," Jaime interrupted.

"And he gave it up the second he could," Brienne protested.

Jaime scoffed. "He gave it up because he was sleeping with Daenerys. If she isn't a problem, then that won't be either." Brienne heard Lord Stark's sharp intake of breath at Jaime's reveal. She had purposely left that part out of the story, knowing it would discomfit Lord Stark.

"Lady Sansa believed him the right man for the job," Brienne told the Starks.

"Sansa did?" Lord Stark said with some amusement, glancing at Lady Catelyn who looked down at her lap. Brienne knew that Lady Catelyn had been harsh to her husband's 'bastard' for most of his life. She was likely embarrassed now, ashamed.

Brienne smiled. "Sansa and Jon adored each other, though I think each preferred Arya," she shared. Lord Stark chuckled.

"I'm sure they did. I never would have believed that my children would get along so well. What happened to Bran and Rickon?"

Brienne had also left Rickon's fate out of the story, believing it to be too cruel to share. She saw Lord Stark's curiosity though and answered, "Bran went beyond the wall to learn how to control his power, with Meera and Jojen Reed who protected him. Rickon was taken with a wildling called Osha, to various Northern strongholds. One of them betrayed him," Brienne said reluctantly. "He was given to the Bolton Bastard, when he controlled Winterfell. At the beginning of the Battle of the Bastards, Ramsay used Rickon to break Jon's control. He killed him."

Lady Catelyn's breath shuttered. "But they weren't killed by Theon?"

"Theon?" Lord Stark thundered, turning to his wife. Brienne was surprised that Lady Catelyn had not shared what Theon had done. Swallowing, Brienne knew what Sansa would want her to do here.

"When Theon betrayed Robb and stole Winterfell," she started, darting her eyes to Lord Stark and then back to Lady Catelyn, "he killed two farm boys in Bran and Rickon's places but then he was captured and tortured very cruelly, by the same man who killed Rickon eventually. He was kept at Winterfell as a sort of pet until Lady Sansa convinced him to help her escape."

"Why was Sansa with this man?" Lord Stark asked and Brienne swallowed again.

"Lady Sansa was his husband." And, so, despite her initial discomfort with telling this story, she told them what Ramsay had done to her and how Theon had saved her, because it was what Sansa would have wanted. She would have hated for her parents to hate Theon for what he had not done, or even for what he had done. "And he returned to Winterfell after saving the Iron Islands and his sister. Lady Sansa was very fond of Theon. He died at the Battle of Winterfell, protecting Bran."

Lady Catelyn was crying again. "How did she end up married to him?" she asked, wiping her eyes as tears continued to flow.

Brienne hesitated. This would be perhaps the worst part of the story for Lady Catelyn. "When Lord Baelish took her from King's Landing, he kept her at the Vale for awhile and then sold her to the Bastard."

"Petyr?" Lady Catelyn breathed. "He sold my daughter to a rapist?"

Brienne nodded reluctantly. When Lady Catelyn began to sob again, Lord Stark wrapped his arms around her. His throat bobbed as he looked at Brienne and Jaime. "I think we'd best leave it here. We should continue tomorrow and decide what to do next." Brienne wholeheartedly agreed. She was entirely exhausted.

They watched the Starks leave, Lady Catelyn leaning on her husband for support, and then Brienne lay her own head in Jaime's lap. Jaime looked surprised. She reached up and cupped his face. "I am sorry I didn't tell you about Jon."

Jaime smiled at her. "I'll forgive you," he said, his eyes assuring her that he already had. "I'm glad I know. When I believed Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna, I thought him just as bad as his father and thought that we were lucky not to have him on the throne. Now I know that my initial willingness to serve him was correct. I'm glad."

Brienne smiled and buried her face against his stomach. His hands came down to play with her hair. "Let's go to bed," he suggested and Brienne nodded. It had been a long night.


	8. Chapter 8

Relief overtook Jaime Lannister's body. He stumbled back into the bed. He heard Tyrion sigh. He heard Brienne murmur his name and then an awful, tremendous guilt fell upon his shoulders as he realised what his brain was saying to him. Relief, relief for the death of his son.

Jaime barely made it to the chamberpot before he was throwing up. He barely heard Tyrion excuse himself, barely felt the soft brushes of Brienne's hand against his back. Relief. His brother had come to report the death of his son on the road and he had been relieved. Jaime fell away from the chamberpot, feeling empty now rather than sick. Brienne followed him but he shuffled away from her. She frowned at him.

"It's okay, Jaime," she said. She wanted to comfort him.

"It's not okay," Jaime snapped. "My son is dead."

Brienne blinked. "You know that that is not what I meant," she said softly and then stood up, tiptoeing away from him. Jaime did know what she meant. The issue wasn't with Brienne. His issue was never with Brienne. His issue was that she said that it was okay and that was what Jaime had thought. By the Seven, he had been relieved. Relieved that his son was dead.

He felt his shoulders start to move before he was even conscious that he was sobbing. He clamped a hand over his mouth, ashamed of the way he was reacting. What was the right way to react to the death of your child? He'd have thought that he was an expert by now. The thought only drove him into deeper, more wracking sobs.

"Oh, Jaime," Brienne said and he could hear tears in her voice too. He looked up at her. He must have been a pitiful sight. She was glancing at him and then away. He wondered if she wanted to be anywhere near him. She must have wanted to run away from him - he was still thinking that, his eyes closed with the pain and fear of what was happening, when she sank down next to him and wrapped her arms around him. He fell into her breasts. Even small, they cushioned him. She winced slightly and he shifted. She must have pulled something while training.

Jaime moved so that he buried his face in her lap instead, conscious that he was straining a muscle of hers. Her hands fell to his hair, combing it until Jaime felt his sobs begin to slow. His head felt fuzzy, achy. He would have a headache in the morning, he already knew. And he would only have one son.

Joffrey had been a complication, had been as awful as before, but without the power. Did he deserve a chance to live like that? Jaime wasn't sure. He was not sure what Cersei had let him get away with up to this point in his life. He had always been a horrid child. Did that deserve his murder, after he had lost his power, his title and his mother?

"Brienne," Jaime said, turning his face towards her. Her cheeks were wet. "Will you tell the Starks that we can't meet them this evening?"

By this evening, he meant the middle of the night, which had been the agreement. Brienne nodded, stroking his hair again. "Of course, love," she murmured. Jaime buried his face back into her thigh. Joffrey had never been his child in any way but biologically but there had been the chance, this time around. This time, he would have had the opportunity to see if it was too late to have a relationship, if it was too late to fix what Cersei had ruined in their son. All those opportunities were gone now and Jaime wasn't sure if he was mourning for them or for the boy who they would have been attached to.

XXX

It was three nights later that they were awoken. Brienne had reorganised the meeting with Lord and Lady Stark, at Jaime's request, and this had been their suggestion. Brienne wasn't sure if Jaime was ready yet. He was smiling more often now. He'd not cried since that first night. And yet Brienne knew that he wasn't quite right yet, wasn't over his son's death and the guilt that it had brought with it. Yet again, Brienne wondered why on earth the gods had sent them back in time, if things were going to go wrong anyway. No matter what Brienne and Jaime did, it seemed as though things were just meant to go wrong.

Brienne thought all of that before even opening her eyes. She hated waking in the middle of the night, her eyes feeling heavy and her body protesting every movement. Thankfully, this time, she had known they were coming and was wearing clothes. She opened her eyes with much protest from her mind and swung her legs over the side of the bed, exhaling slowly and irritably. Sleep was Brienne's most precious commodity and it was continually being stolen from her.

"Oof," she heard Jaime cry as Catelyn's shoes tapped against their wooden floor. It was only when Brienne turned that she discovered that it was not Catelyn at all and Jaime's cry was because he had been shoved back against the doorframe as Sansa Stark entered the room, fury blazing in her grey eyes, followed by a somewhat shorter Arya Stark and a boy version of Jon Snow. It took Brienne's mind a few seconds to figure out what was going on.

"Of course," she sighed. "How did you get away from your parents for long enough to kill him, Arya?"

Arya smirked. Jaime looked blankly at Brienne. "Just because I'm in a younger body, it doesn't mean that I've lost my skills." Brienne pressed her thumb and finger to her forehead.

"You killed Joffrey?" Jaime asked after a moment of silence, his voice free of any emotion. Brienne pushed herself from the bed and went to close the door, taking Jaime's hand as she did. Arya replied with a single nod. Jaime didn't react. Leading Jaime over to the couches where they had sat with Lord and Lady Stark a few nights before, Brienne gave Arya a warning glance and Arya shrugged, flinging herself onto their armchair, her legs over one arm and her head leaning back against the other. Jon Snow sat rather awkwardly next to his sister, opposite Brienne and Jaime, who had yet to react. Brienne was sure that he would save his reaction until they were alone.

"Why are you with him?" blurted from Sansa's mouth. Brienne's eyebrows shot up, her eyes leaving a flippant Arya and her attention leaving Jaime's lack of reaction. Her lips parted as she really took in Sansa's fury for the first time. Her sworn sword looked so much younger but, inside, she was the same person, the same damaged person that Brienne had wanted to protect.

"Sansa," Brienne sighed.

"Do you not remember what he did? Things aren't different just because we've come back. He left you!" she said, her eyes widening emphatically. Brienne furrowed her brow.

"He- what time did you come back from?"

Before she could answer, there was another knock on the door. All three Stark children watched Brienne get up with bemusement on their faces. Brienne welcomed Lady and Lord Stark inside and watched through the candlelight as their faces morphed into shock at seeing their children.

"What on earth…" Catelyn said, glancing between Brienne, Jaime and her husband. Lord Stark narrowed his eyes at the children.

"Are they too?" he asked, his voice deep and even. Brienne nodded.

"I believe so."

"You're from the future too?" Arya demanded, standing up. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"Because we're children, Arya," Sansa snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her down onto the chaise, squeezing between Sansa and Jon. "Or they think we are," she added.

"You- how-" Catelyn stuttered. "When?"

"That's what we're trying to determine," Jaime said and Brienne noticed for the first time the pallor of his skin. "It seems as though they have returned from further in the future than Brienne and I."

Sansa's neck cracked as her head swivelled towards Brienne. "When did you come back from?"

"Just before Jaime was going to leave," Brienne said quietly, returning to her seat.

"So you know that he left?" Sansa demanded. Brienne gave Lady Catelyn a quick glance and then returned to Sansa. "He went back to Cersei and died with her. Tyrion found them in each other's arms, trying to escape." Brienne felt the colour rush from her face. She took Jaime's hand to still its shaking. Sansa's tone was loud and accusatory. "This is who you want to be with?"

"I don't understand," Catelyn said quietly. She took the seat that Arya had occupied, her husband standing solemnly behind her. Brienne swallowed and looked at Catelyn, before returning to Sansa.

"Sansa, it is my choice," Brienne said in a low tone. "I appreciate that you are looking out for my interests but-"

"But nothing," Sansa cut in. Her eyes were wild. "You don't know if you never lived through it. You were devastated. You- I was there!" she exclaimed. "You weren't. You don't know what he did to you, what he said to you." Even Brienne's hand in his could not hide her husband's shaking now.

"You were there," Brienne repeated, horrified at the thought of her sworn lady witnessing her humiliation.

"No," Sansa corrected, inhaling deeply. "No, you told me afterwards."

Brienne shook her head to clear it. "Sansa, none of this matters. I know that Jaime was going to leave me, I know why, and I know that I married him in good conscience of that. I married him because I am in love with him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him." Arya groaned dramatically at the profession of love and Brienne glanced at her with amusement.

Sansa opened her mouth again but Jon said, "Sansa, that's enough," before she could. She turned to him with fury in her eyes. "That isn't why we're here."

"It's why I'm here," Sansa muttered. Brienne gave her a fond look that she returned.

"Why are you here?" Jaime asked curiously, his voice shaken. Sansa shot him a look of disgust and turned to Brienne. Jaime pursed his lips.

Before they could say anything, there was another knock on the door. "Who is that?" Lord Stark asked, worry in his voice. Brienne shook her head, standing.

"It's Tyrion."

She heard Sansa's gasp and ignored it, going to the door to allow her goodbrother inside. He looked around the room and narrowed his misaligned eyes at the children. "Tyrion," Sansa said with a fondness in her voice that Brienne was sure the rest of the room did not know existed usually. Tyrion gave her an odd look though and then glanced at his brother and they met eyes, speaking in that secret language that they had, without words, only with eyes. It drove Brienne insane. She sat back down in her seat and pinched Jaime's thigh. He looked at her sharply, narrowing his eyes. She cocked her head at Tyrion and tried to convey her feelings.

"I have no idea what that means," Jaime said with a small shake of his head. Brienne scowled. Tyrion squeezed in beside Jaime and Brienne became aware that there were not enough seats for all of them.

"What is he doing here?" Lord Stark asked, his voice deep and unbetraying of any emotion. Jaime tutted. Tyrion rolled his eyes. Sansa looked at her father in alarm.

"What is your issue with Ty- Lord Tyrion, Father?" she asked. The blankness of his expression towards her had soured her fond tone, upon the realisation that he was not the Tyrion she remembered and that he did not remember her at all. Lord Stark did not reply to his daughter.

"Ah, this must be the Lady Sansa," Tyrion said, looking between Sansa and Lord Stark. "Don't blame your father, my lady. Most men do not like the men who marry their daughters, particularly when they are so young." Lord Stark grunted noncommittally, clearly in a rush to get on with this. Brienne agreed, stifling a yawn.

"Right, can we get on with this?" Jaime said, clamping his hand on Brienne's knee. She appreciated his hurry, especially as it earned him dirty looks from Sansa and Lord and Lady Stark. Brienne's stomach squirmed at the thought of those she was sworn too feeling so vile towards her husband but she dismissed it. She was not sworn to anyone but Jaime in this timeline.

"Has Robert told you who it is that he plans to marry?" Tyrion asked Lord Stark, who nodded once.

"The Tyrell girl," Lord Stark replied with a grunt. Sansa choked. Brienne's eyes flew open, her tiredness abating for a moment.

"She's very young," Jaime commented lightly.

"She's ten-and-five," Lord Stark said, though his nod seemed to agree with Jaime's estimation of the situation. "What do we know about her?"

"She married Joffrey and," Sansa started, glancing at Tyrion, "and then, when Joffrey died, she married Tommen. She died when Cersei blew up the Sept of Baelor."

Lady Catelyn let out a gasp and Lord Stark closed his eyes. "And her personality? Her character?" Tyrion asked while the rest of the room reacted.

"She is ambitious," Sansa allowed with an inclination of her head, "but she was kind too and the people of King's Landing loved her."

Tyrion nodded thoughtfully. "Ten-and-five is not so young to be married. She may provide an heir quickly and stabilise the regime before Robert's indulgences see fit to end his life." Brienne glanced at Lord Stark and found him quiet but with a rage in his eyes. Brienne had to say that, from what she had seen, Tyrion was right in that Robert would surely succumb to some sort of bodily failure before too long. He lived the life of a king, that was for certain.

"The Tyrells are on the way to King's Landing," Lady Catelyn shared, her countenance dark. "As the news of a lack of heir spreads throughout the kingdom, the people will become scared and scared people are always more likely to rebel."

Arya grinned rakishly. "Perhaps they will call for the return of the Targaryens," she said. Her sister scolded her and her brother - cousin - looked away determinedly.

The air turned to friction. Brienne heard Jaime snort lightly and tapped his thigh in rebuke. When he looked at her, she felt her eyes flutter slightly and the muscles in her cheeks protested as she diminished a yawn. Jaime swiped his thumb against the back of her hand and mouthed to her, "Are you okay?" Brienne nodded quickly, though her entire body wanted to collapse into her bed. It was so close but this meeting could go on for eons. As she considered this, Brienne wondered why they were even meeting at all.

"There will be no Targaryen return," Lord Stark growled. He did not look at his nephew. Brienne leaned back against the sofa.

"We're not here to talk about that," Jaime interrupted.

"We're here to prevent the country from returning to war," Lady Catelyn said hotly.

"Are we?" Jaime challenged, raising his eyebrows. "Who says that's why we're here, Lady Stark?"

"What other reason would there be?"

Jaime shrugged. "I'd like to think they wanted to give us some happiness." Brienne's heart softened at the comment. "Nobody here was happy before they died. None of us deserved what we got."

"Sansa was a queen," Arya protested.

"And alone." Sansa's voice was quiet. Brienne thought that she might have been the only one to see how Sansa's eyes flickered at Tyrion. "You were gone, denying yourself happiness, and Jon was beyond the wall. I was alone. I remember thinking that, about being alone, the night before we arrived back at Winterfell."

Arya swallowed. "You think you wished this to happen?"

Sansa shook her head. "No," but her voice was uncertain. "I just- Brienne and Jaime came back just before they were going to be alone again. Arya, you were alone, from your own choice" - Arya looked affronted by this assessment but said nothing - "Father died alone. Perhaps Jaime is right. Perhaps we were sent back for happiness. Perhaps these aspirations of saving the world are too lofty. We've likely already saved the realm from the War of Five Kings by saving Jon Arryn."

Catelyn nodded slowly. "Then we may return to Winterfell," she said with an even tone, not betraying whether she felt pleased or not by that prospect.

"Go back to Winterfell?" Arya cried, her eyes widening.

"We can't!" Sansa too protested. Jon said nothing at all and Brienne could imagine that he was happy to return, away from politics. He'd likely had enough of that in his past life. A thought occurred to Brienne.

"Who was on the Iron Throne when you left?" she asked curiously.

Sansa's muscles in her face froze, making her look as she had once, with one facial expression, not betraying what she felt at any point. "I'm not sure we should say," she said. Brienne, Jaime, Tyrion and Lord and Lady Stark turned to her, like actors in a play, all at once, and overtly curious.

"Was it the Targaryen girl?" Tyrion asked.

Jon chuckled but it was not a happy sound. It was dark and bitter and Brienne wondered what had happened, what had changed. "No, Lord Tyrion, it was not," he said, speaking Tyrion's name with something akin to venom.

Tyrion narrowed his eyes, sensing it. "She was my queen, was she not? Did I betray her?"

Jon sighed, meeting eyes with his sisters and then apparently resolving to speak. "Yes but not until she had betrayed the realm. After she burned King's Landing down, you went to her and refused to be her Hand. She arrested you and you told me to kill her."

"And you did," Jaime breathed, his eyes widening in horror. Jon swallowed. Jaime blinked quickly and then his eyes fell to his lap. "I'm sorry for you." Brienne remembered a man in a bath, stump bobbing above the water, eyes empty, telling a story of killing a king he had been sworn to. Jon met Jaime's eyes and nodded once, more of an inclination of his head, an inclination of respect, of understanding, that Brienne wondered if Jaime had ever received before.

"Is it possible she is back too?" Brienne asked suddenly.

Lord Stark looked between them. "Robert has received news that she has married Khal Drago. Would she do that if she was back?"

Jon looked uneasy. "Perhaps."

"There's only one way to find out," Sansa said, glancing at her brother. "We'll have to send somebody to see her."

"I'll go," Arya said in an agreeing sort of tone, as though somebody had asked her and she had not volunteered herself.

"You will not," Lady Catelyn protested.

Jon nodded, though, and so did Sansa. "She's right. She's the only one who can go."

Brienne yawned, hiding herself in Jaime's shoulder. "Do you think we could start meeting at a less heinous time?" Jaime asked, observing her. "Brienne is very sleepy in the middle of the night and will be very irritable tomorrow."

Arya snorted, drawing Jaime's attention. "Oh, I'm not laughing at you. I'm only saying- she's not sleepy or irritable. She's pregnant."

That drew Brienne's face slowly away from Jaime's shoulder. The idle chatter in the room had stopped; the argument between Lady Catelyn and Sansa about letting Arya go to Essos quieted down.

Brienne trusted Arya with her life, especially on something regarding this. Arya knew what the signs were. She was the most observant person that Brienne knew. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "How long have you been in King's Landing?"

"A day," Arya replied simply. Brienne's mind whirred. It was enough for Arya to figure anything out. Panic rose in her chest. She wanted to scream at everyone to leave but she couldn't. Tyrion yawned.

"Well, this has been rather interesting but fruitless," he said, springing to his feet as though it were not the middle of the night, as though Brienne had not just received life-changing news.

"Not entirely fruitless, my lord," Sansa said, also standing to leave. "Arya will go to Essos and we can all feel rather less guilty about enjoying our lives far more than we did the last time."

"Except me, of course," Tyrion commented. "I must have been very happy for the gods not to send me back."

"Or have been rather bad, for them not to care about your misery." Brienne tried to diminish her smile at the bewildered looks on Lord and Lady Stark's faces. They were not used to this Sansa, this girl who was not simpering or silly, but Brienne was, and nothing had changed at all in the way that Sansa spoke with her husband, save a bit of fondness and ease. But Brienne imagined it all coming back.

The thoughts distracted her momentarily, as each of the Starks and Tyrion left, almost silently, likely to speak as a family. Brienne had felt, at times, as though she were involved in something she shouldn't have been, as though this were all a big family affair that Brienne and Jaime were intruding upon.

She shook her head. "Do you think you are?" Jaime asked, drawing Brienne back to the situation, her pregnancy. Jaime's voice shook and she couldn't read his eyes. Perhaps she was too tired to.

"Probably," she sighed, heading back over to the bed and pulling out the cover. Jaime followed her at a pace.

"Do you want to talk about this?" he asked, a bit incredulously.

Brienne shook her head, holding her hand out for him to crawl into bed with her. "No, Jaime, love, I want to sleep. Your baby wants to sleep. Let us sleep and I promise we'll talk babies in the morning- you can-" Brienne yawned, her eyes fluttering closed. She felt Jaime's lips press like a butterfly against her forehead and then draw away and then she knew no more.


	9. Chapter 9

"What do you think then?" Jaime asked Brienne, the moment she was dressed the next morning. He was hopping up and down like a rabbit, his eyes flashing and eager. Brienne sighed and sank down onto the bed beside him. He immediately reached for her, one hand stroking her arm and the other curling protectively around her as-yet flat stomach.

"Jaime, if you keep stroking me like that, I'm never going to touch you again," she said irritably. Jaime backed away immediately.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm just excited."

"I know," Brienne sighed. "I just- I might not even be pregnant."

"But Arya said-"

"But Arya could be wrong."

"Seems unlikely," Jaime grunted. Brienne allowed him half a smile. "How do we find out if you are pregnant? Do we have to wait to see if you miss your moonblood?"

"I already have."

"Or if your breasts are tender? Weird cravings? Sore back?"

Brienne had to laugh. She had already felt all of those things. "Jaime," she said, raising her brows at him.

He pouted. "I'm sorry-"

"Jaime, I think I'm pregnant," she said, cutting him off.

Jaime leaned away from her, watching her suspiciously. "You just said you weren't sure! You-"

She cut him off this time with a kiss and then pulled away. "I'm not sure. All the signs are there. I'll go to a maester."

"We could wait until we get to Casterly Rock," Jaime suggested. "That way- I mean- it's less likely to get back to-"

"To Cersei," Brienne finished. Jaime ducked his head, his cheeks flushed. Brienne put her thumb under his chin, to force him to look at her. "It's okay. I agree. Let's keep it between us, for now."

"Us, Tyrion and the Starks," Jaime corrected and Brienne grinned.

"But you are pleased?"

"Brienne, I am so, so pleased." Brienne smiled, meeting his eyes. He kissed her sweetly and then they broke apart. Brienne groaned suddenly, laughing slightly.

"How did I let you get me pregnant?"

"I can give you a reminder, if you need," Jaime suggested with a smirk. Brienne batted his hand away.

"You realise I can't fight now, don't you? Can't spar, can hardly ride. I'll have to wear dresses."

Jaime shrugged. "Easier access."

Brienne scoffed. "If you think I'm going to let you near me after saying that-" It was Jaime's turn to cut her off with a kiss.

"Yes, I do," he mumbled against her lips. Brienne's hand snaked around to his back. He was quite right. She felt his hand very softly cup her breasts and she had to smile, pressing her forehead against his.

"I love you," she told him. He grinned, pushing her back onto the mattress.

"I love you too," he said, before he clambered on top of her and covered her lips with his.

XXX

Brienne walked slowly out to the balcony, where Lady Catelyn, Sansa and Arya were sitting together, eating little cakes and drinking tea. It was the sort of thing that Brienne did not like to do, yet she was here, at Sansa's invitation. Brienne could tell that Lady Catelyn was not pleased by her coming when she pursed her lips.

"Brienne!" Arya's happy tone at her arrival made up for her mother's scowl, however, and Sansa positively beamed at her. "Are you pregnant?"

"Arya," Sansa scolded but Brienne saw the curiosity burning in her eyes too.

With a sigh, Brienne said, "Yes, I think I am."

"Does that mean you can't fight anymore?" Arya asked. Brienne nodded. "Shame. I need someone to spar with and none of the knights here will. I tried them all this morning."

"Yes, they don't like women on the sparring ground," Brienne said with a nod, finally taking her seat and reaching for one of the little cakes. "Thankfully, I had Jaime to spar with." Arya's eyes lit up.

"Do you think Jaime would spar with me?" Arya asked eagerly.

"Arya," Lady Catelyn scolded, looking aghast. "You can't spar with him."

Brienne brushed off the slight to her husband. "I'm sure he would, Arya."

Arya grinned. "Bet I can beat him."

Raising her brows, Brienne said, "you'd be surprised. He does have two hands now, you know."

"Yeah, I noticed that," the young girl said with a grunt. "I'd cut the right one off again, only I think you'd have something to say about that." Brienne flushed at Arya's wiggling brows.

"He had his hand cut off?" Catelyn commented lightly, buttering a piece of bread. "How did that happen?"

"He was being mouthy," Arya said through a mouthful of cake before Brienne could answer. Brienne scowled and Arya shrugged. "That's what you told me." It had been what Brienne had told her, but she had been half-joking and did not want to talk about Jaime, as it was before he had left Cersei.

Lady Catelyn was watching her expectantly and Brienne sighed, giving in to telling the story. "He- When we were travelling from Riverrun to King's Landing, we were taken and the people who had kidnapped us threatened to rape me. Jaime distracted them by lying about how much my father was worth. When he managed to succeed at making them leave me alone, he got cocky and said something else, something about them loosening his bonds or thereabouts. They laughed at him and chopped his hand off." Sansa grimaced.

"I don't understand," Lady Catelyn said, a few beats later, sighing and meeting Brienne's eyes for the first time that day. "I don't understand how you could have fallen in love with such a man. He is- he is dishonourable and-"

"My lady," Brienne started stiffly, "I assure you that he is not dishonourable. He is my husband. I know him better than anybody else. I chose to marry him because I know him and because I love him. I would ask that you not speak wrongly of him in my presence."

Lady Catelyn did not respond, only turned to her daughters. Brienne deflated slightly. Lady Catelyn's opinion mattered to her far less than her relationship with Jaime, but, still, she would have liked to have had her as a friend. She found Sansa giving her a soft smile and praised the Seven that she still had Sansa.

Catelyn turned to her older daughter, speaking hopefully. "Sansa, I suppose that, with your hindsight now, you know better who you would like to marry. While we're at court, we could-"

"I'm not getting married," Sansa cut her off. Catelyn blinked, taken aback.

Arya looked between her mother and her sister. "You could set me up a marriage contract," she said lightly. Brienne's lips twitched, wondering how much of this was Arya being protective of her sister and how much was her wanting to marry Gendry. "But I would choose who it was with."

Catelyn nodded slowly. "Of course you would."

"Great, he's one of Robert's bastards."

"King Robert," Catelyn corrected tersely, "and you can't marry a bastard. You're a Stark."

Arya shrugged. "Guess neither of us are getting married then."

Brienne felt a guilty sense of pleasure at watching Catelyn's flabbergasted face look between her two daughters. It was clearly not what she had been expecting but, Brienne thought, she didn't really know these two girls. They had changed so much since Catelyn had been alive and Catelyn would have to get to know them again.

XXX

"You think it was your brother?" Jaime commented, raising his brows. Jon shrugged.

"Maybe. Being the three-eyed raven was not an easy task, I don't think. It would make sense to send you back and have you leave Cersei, so that you wouldn't-"

"I didn't know you knew about that," Jaime said quietly. This had not been what he had been expecting when he found Jon Snow at his door. Brienne was out with Sansa and Arya and Jaime had been expecting to go and find Tyrion. "I'm sorry."

Jon sighed. "I don't suppose it matters anymore, does it?"

"It was still a terrible thing for me to do." Jon hummed as he nodded. "Why do you think he sent you back then? Other than Brienne and I, it doesn't make sense to send any of you back."

"No, but he loved the rest of us. Maybe he just wanted us to be happy."

"Why not your elder brother?"

Jon looked down. "Robb was happy, with Talisa, as Rickon was happy when he had Osha to look after him. They met tragic ends but their lives were quite happy up to those points."

"I suppose that's true," Jaime allowed. "Have you suggested this to your sisters?"

Jon shook his head. "No. They don't know what you did and they already don't like you."

Jaime gave Jon a funny look. "Why would you care about that?"

"If the Starks and Lannisters had got on in the first place, none of the war would have happened. We need to move on. I don't think Sansa would ever forgive you and I know Arya wouldn't."

"Fair enough." Jaime glanced at Jon. "Has your father spoken to you about-"

"About my real father? About putting me on the throne?" Jon questioned. Jaime nodded. "Yes but we've all agreed it's a worst case scenario option and Dany-" Jon cut himself off, looking at the ground. "There's lots of factors that make it difficult, mainly that I can't think of anything worse."

Jaime snorted. "Understandable."

"You served my real father." Jaime nodded. "One time, not now, would you tell me about him?"

Jaime swallowed a thickness in his throat that had been coming every time he thought about Prince Rhaegar and the way he had hated him for so long for betraying what Jaime thought him to be. The fact that he was the man Jaime had thought he was was a comforting thought and one that made Jaime emotional. "Of course," he agreed. "Rhaegar was my prince and you are his son."

"Don't go swearing me any oaths," Jon said, standing. Jaime smirked, laughing and following him to his feet. "I wanted to talk about my theory with somebody and I thought you would be best, considering the facts I would have had to share." Jaime nodded.

"I understand. I don't mind at all."

"Thank you, Ser Jaime."

"Thank you, my prince," Jaime said, only half-joking. The glare that Jon shot him made him chuckle and back away, hands up.

XXX

Margaery Tyrell arrived with many attendants and family members and they were married within a few days. King Robert openly spoke about how fortunate he was, that his wife had cheated on him, for now he was receiving a far greater prize, the prettiest woman in all the kingdoms.

"It's exactly what he called Cersei when he married her," Jaime said with a cluck of his tongue as he and Brienne watched Robert parade his new wife around the gardens. They were sitting in the garden, enjoying the sunlight and the beautiful gardens. "The gardens at Casterly Rock aren't nearly so pretty."

"Well, we'll make them better," Brienne said, sipping at her wine. "The gardens at Evenfall are better than these."

Jaime raised his brows and then reached across the table for her hand. "We'll go to Tarth soon."

"My father will come to me before the baby is born," Breinne said with confidence. Jaime furrowed his brow.

"He's replied to you already," he said, surprised. She had not long since sent a letter to her father announcing her pregnancy.

"No, I just know that he'll come. That's okay, isn't it?"

"Of course," Jaime said, blinking. "It's your home as much as mine."

Brienne smiled and then it faltered slightly, her eyes over Jaime's shoulder. "I think they're coming over to us."

"Who?" Jaime asked dumbly.

"The king," his wife hissed. Jaime's eyes widened. He swallowed another gulp of wine and then Brienne was proven right as Queen Margaery and King Robert stood by their table. "Your majesties," Brienne said stiffly. Jaime bowed his head.

"Lady Brienne, Ser Jaime," Queen Margaery said. Her smile was as genuine-looking as it had ever been. She looked as happy as she had when she married Joffrey or Tommen, so, if he hadn't already suspected it, Jaime knew now that her happiness was fake and created entirely by her ambition. He wasn't surprised at all. "How are you both? I was very pleased to hear of your marriage."

Jaime smiled widely. "We are very well, thank you, your majesty." King Robert only grunted. "What can we help you with, your graces?"

"Your presence is required at Casterly Rock," King Robert said. Queen Margaery's pleasant smile made up for King Robert's rude tone. Jaime had to admit that Margaery made a good queen, no matter who her husband was.

"We have plans to leave in a week but we can move that forward," Brienne said diplomatically.

"See that you do," King Robert said before leaving them, his wife giving them one last queenly smile before following him calmly.

"I guess we're leaving then," Jaime said, raising his brows at Brienne. "I'll go and organise to have our things packed. You should go and see Sansa and Arya."

Brienne nodded, biting her lip. Jaime gave her an encouraging smile. He wasn't sure if she was sad to leave Sansa and Arya or because they would be going back to Casterly Rock and not to Tarth. Either way, he would speak with her that evening.

XXX

"You have to leave so soon," Sansa said calmly, though she wasn't looking at Brienne. She stared out of the window.

"We're hoping to leave tomorrow."

"Is Robert making you leave?" Arya asked. Brienne didn't answer. She wasn't sure how closely answering it would veer to treason. "I thought you were going to stay here. What if- what if there's an emergency - a time travel emergency?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't be here either," Brienne said, raising her brows at Arya, who furrowed her brow. "I wondered if you would come to Casterly Rock and be my squire."

"Your squire?" Arya repeated. "What?"

Brienne shrugged, feeling suddenly self-conscious. "If you wanted to."

"Come to Casterly Rock? But you can't even spar with me until you give birth."

"Jaime and I will share you. It was just an idea-"

"I'll do it," Arya agreed, grinning and jumping up. "I'll go tell Father." She was practically shaking with her excitement, making Brienne smile. "Thank you, Brienne."

And she shot off, leaving Brienne and Sansa alone. They were silent for a few moments and then Sansa reached across the table and took Brienne's hand. Brienne glanced at Sansa, shocked by the affection. "You are always welcome at Winterfell, you know."

"I know," Brienne said warily.

"I'm happy for you, Brienne, I really am," Sansa said, sitting up and leaning forward, "but I don't think I'll ever forget the way you cried the morning after Jaime left."

Brienne swallowed, glancing away. "Sansa, I know-"

"How can I trust him with you? How can I-" Sansa looked away. "I listened to you, when you told me that he wouldn't hurt you and then-"

Brienne blinked back tears that sprang to the back of her eyes. "Look, Sansa, I get that he made some bad choices but that's over now. All of that is over now and he loves me and we're married and having this baby together. I don't need you to trust him but I need you to trust me." Sansa swallowed. "You can come to Casterly Rock in a few months and check on me. I promise that Jaime will still be by my side."

Sansa nodded. "I just worry."

"I know," Brienne said, smiling, "but you don't need to. All you need to worry about now is yourself and what you want to do."

Sansa laughed. "I guarantee I won't have decided by the time I come to Casterly Rock."

Brienne shrugged. "Then just busy yourself making me some baby clothes." Sansa grinned, squeezing her hand and meeting her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

Brienne loved the gardens at Casterly Rock. When she had arrived, she had spoken with the gardeners and used some of their ridiculous amount of money to really turn the gardens into what she wanted. They had been fine before, good enough to show that Tywin Lannister had money to burn - which she was sure was his intention - but, now, they were a real part of what made Casterly Rock so beautiful. It wasn't Jaime's area of expertise and she was fairly certain that even now he wasn't truly appreciative of them, but he let her do what she liked, which she loved him for.

She found Myrcella in the garden that had been the best kept when Brienne had arrived at Casterly Rock, the garden that Jaime said had once been his mother's. Myrcella liked to sit there, Brienne knew, and Brienne rarely disturbed her when she was there, as she'd told Jaime - who she still called Uncle - that she liked to think there.

Today, however, Brienne would make an exception and disturb her, though she was sure that the young girl would stay after. She would certainly want to think after this.

"Myrcella," Brienne said softly. The young girl's head came up to look at Brienne, reminding her that she was hardly twelve years old. Her eyes - the same as Jaime's - were focussed on Brienne.

"What's wrong?" she asked pressingly. Brienne sighed and walked over to take a seat next to her. "Is it Tommen? Uncle Jaime?" Her eyes dropped to Brienne's stomach. "The baby?"

Brienne shook her head and reached for Myrcella's hand. "We're all okay. It's your mother." Myrcella wrenched her hand from Brienne's.

"What? Is she coming here?"

Brienne swallowed. "No. She has - Myrcella, she's tried to rouse an army in her name."

Myrcella furrowed her brow. "I thought- I thought she was with the Silent Sisters."

Brienne nodded. "She is. She - I don't know how she did it but she did."

Myrcella was quiet for a while. Brienne looked around the area. It was beautiful, with roses and small yellow flowers that Brienne couldn't name. The bench that they were sitting on was old. Perhaps Brienne would look into getting it replaced, if Myrcella wanted to spend so much time in here.

"What are they going to do to her?" Myrcella whispered.

Brienne sighed. "I am so sorry, Myrcella. They're going to execute her."

Myrcella looked away sharply, so Brienne was not sure if she was crying or not, though she suspected that she was. Her voice was particularly thick when she said, "How could my father do that to her? Did he never love her at all?"

Brienne didn't know what to say. "Your mother- their marriage was arranged by your grandfather."

Myrcella turned to Brienne, swiping angrily at her eyes. "Why is he allowed to kill her? She is his wife. I don't understand. Why is he punishing us all? Why aren't I allowed to be a princess anymore? Uncle Jaime won't tell me."

Brienne swallowed. She should have sent Jaime to do this, should have insisted that he tell Myrcella the truth about why Robert had sent them away. "I'm sorry, Myrcella," she said softly.

Myrcella shook her head. "I want my uncle. Where is he?" she demanded.

"I don't know, Myrcella. I'll go and find him, okay? You can stay here."

Myrcella nodded slightly and Brienne escaped, cursing herself for not going about that in the right way. She rubbed her swollen belly. Hopefully she would learn to be better by the time this one was Myrcella's age.

XXX

She found Jaime at the top of the highest tower in Casterly Rock, looking out in the distance and crying. Encircling her arms around his waist, she pressed a kiss to his shoulder and leaned her head against his. "I spoke to Myrcella," she said softly. "She wants to speak to you."

Reaching to take Jaime's hands in hers and have all four clasped on Jaime's stomach, Brienne sighed. Her husband finally spoke a few moments later. "I hate how upset I am."

"You did all you could for Cersei, my love," she tried to comfort him. He shook his head.

"I should be the one dying. I'm as guilty as her." Brienne shook her head against his neck.

"Don't, Jaime. You have never roused an army to fight the king. She made that decision." Jaime nodded stiffly, pulling one hand from Brienne's to wipe his cheeks angrily, just as Myrcella had earlier. "You're allowed to be upset. She was a huge part of your life."

Jaime clucked his tongue. "And isn't that just the worst part?"

There was nothing Brienne could say to that, so she settled her chin on his shoulder and looked out into the distance with him, wishing that she had something to say to the mourners of her home.

XXX

Arya groaned as she flopped down on the floor beside the sword rack. Beside her, Brienne leaned against the wall. "Nice spar," Arya commented, taking a skein of water gratefully from Brienne, who nodded.

"Your muscles are really building up quickly now." Arya hummed, glancing down at her biceps and making Brienne smile.

"It'll be good to get my body back to normal."

Brienne smiled, flicking her braid away from her shoulder. "I'm sure."

"How's Jaime?" Arya asked idly. Brienne narrowed her eyes.

"Not great," she said honestly.

Arya shrugged. "I don't think he should be so upset. Cersei was a bitch."

"Arya," Brienne growled.

Arya looked up at her, wide-eyed. "What? You hated her too! She was awful."

Tutting, Brienne pushed herself away from the wall. She sheathed her sword and glared down at her squire. "You may think you're ten-and-eight in your head, Arya, but you act as though you were still only ten-and-two."

With that, Brienne stormed away, not caring about Arya's shouted apologies and calls for her to return.

XXX

By the time Sansa arrived a week later, Brienne and Arya had put their argument behind them, with Arya's recognition that she had spoken cruelly and childishly. The two of them stood proudly at Casterly Rock's large entrance doors, watching Sansa ride towards them. Brienne's smile stretched her face, matching both Sansa and Arya's.

Sansa slid off her horse with grace. She looked like an adult, though she was still only ten-and-four. Her dress fit her body exceedingly well and her hair was pulled back from her face, though it lay loose against her back, like any maiden's. As Sansa ascended the steps to meet them, Brienne self-consciously pushed her braid back. Perhaps it was time to cut her hair again. It was far less hassle when it was short.

"Arya," Sansa cried first, smothering her sister in a hug that made Brienne's lips twitch, particularly when she saw Arya's scowl over her sister's shoulder. Sansa pulled away. "It is good to see you. I'm surprised that you have not left for Essos yet."

"I need to be able to fight to leave," Arya said, glancing at Brienne. "Brienne thinks a few more weeks and I'll be strong enough to defend myself, just in case." Brienne inclined her head and Sansa turned to her, pity filling her eyes.

"How are you?" she asked softly, taking Brienne's hand.

Brienne let out a huff. "Sansa, please stop your suspicions of Jaime right away. You're in our home now-"

"I was asking because of Cersei," Sansa interrupted with raised brows. "How is Jaime?"

Brienne closed her eyes momentarily. "I'm sorry," she said awkwardly. Sansa only smiled. "Jaime is- Jaime is grieving."

Sansa nodded sympathetically. "Of course." She looked around them. "Shall we go to your solar, Brienne? I have a suggestion to make."

With peaked interest, Brienne led the two Stark girls to her solar, where Sansa took a seat, hands clasped on her lap. "Well, Sansa?" Arya said impatiently. "What is it?"

"I was wondering whether there is any truth to the news that Cersei tried to rouse an army." Brienne furrowed her brow, sharing a confused glance with Arya. "I was wondering whether it was, in fact, a lie that gave King Robert an excellent excuse to execute her for her adultery."

Brienne's lips parted, suddenly more than ever glad that Sansa was here. Brienne did not have a mind for politics but Sansa did and it was fully possible what she was saying. She shook her head to clear it. "You might be right."

Sansa gave her a severe look. "You need to watch yourself, Brienne. If Robert has gone for Cersei, he will come for Jaime next."

XXX

In bed that night with Jaime in her arms, Brienne said, "Have you ever considered going somewhere else?"

Jaime looked up at her, confused. "Somewhere else? A different bed?"

"What?" Brienne said, narrowing her eyes. "No, Jaime." Brienne sat up, jolting Jaime from her arms. "Somewhere safe, somewhere away from here."

"Here is safe," Jaime protested. "This is our home. We have guards and friends here."

Brienne sighed. "Sansa suggested that perhaps Cersei has not roused an army and perhaps Robert is only making an excuse to kill her."

Jaime's shoulders slumped. "I thought about that."

"You did?" Brienne said with a tone of surprise. Jaime nodded slightly.

"I didn't want you to think that I was trying to defend her."

Brienne cupped his cheek. "You can tell me whatever you like." Jaime bent his face so that he could press a kiss to her palm and Brienne smiled. "What do you think of it?"

"It is possible," he admitted, "but it is just as possible that Cersei was massing an army." Brienne nodded. "You are worried that Robert will come for me?"

"Yes."

Jaime opened his mouth to speak but there was a knock on the door, interrupting them. Jaime furrowed his brow at Brienne. They had retired an hour ago, and it was already going dark then. They were not to be disturbed in their bedchamber. That had been made clear to the servants the day that they had arrived.

"Come in," Jaime called. Brienne pulled the sheets up to cover her shoulders. It was a messenger and it was clear that he had hurried to them, his face red and his breathing ragged.

"I'm sorry, my lord, my lady," he panted. Brienne felt dread spread across her body. "It's the king. He is dead."


	11. Chapter 11

They arrived in King's Landing not a month after the news of Robert's death. It had been odd to help the children grieve. They had thought that this man was their father, not so long ago, but he had never truly cared for anything more than his whores and feasting. Myrcella had been confused by her lack of sadness and then she had been angry with herself - and everyone else - for quite a while. It had been painful to leave her behind while they came to King's Landing to see what was going to happen next for the realm.

Brienne had not expected how much she would grow to care for Myrcella and Tommen. She saw very little of Cersei in them, but Jaime said that even Cersei was not warped from birth. He'd said it in a very amused voice as Brienne had explained her surprise. But Brienne understood: Cersei's position, and her father, had made her the way she was. Brienne would not let the same happen to Myrcella and Tommen. She would protect them and let them lead good lives, alongside her own children.

Myrcella was very excited by the new babe and Tommen was too, when he really thought about it. Jaime had told them to call the baby their brother or sister and Myrcella had had a knowing look in her eyes when she had agreed. Brienne had a feeling that it wouldn't be long until Myrcella was asking who her true father was.

"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Jaime asked, pulling his horse in beside hers. Brienne glanced at him.

"Myrcella." Jaime smiled. "How are you feeling?"

Jaime gave her a raised-brow look. "I'm fine, Brienne. Let's get into the city, find out what's happening and get back out."

"Do you think Tommen, Myrcella and Arya are okay?"

Jaime chuckled. "They're fine, wench. We'll hardly be gone a month in all."

"True." Brienne gave him a thin smile and then galloped on. King's Landing was in sight and Jaime was right. The sooner they arrived, the sooner they could leave.

XXX

Jon Arryn greeted them coolly when they entered the meeting room. Jaime shared a look with his wife, more amused than concerned. She gave him what she hoped was a quelling look. The last thing they needed, in a new political environment, was Jaime pissing everyone off with his charming wit.

"What are you doing here, Lannister?" Ned growled.

Catelyn patted his arm. "I invited them. They have more insight than either of us."

"Where are Jon and Sansa?" Brienne asked.

"We'll speak with them later," Catelyn assured her. "We wanted to discuss Jon without him being here."

"You want to put him on the throne," Jaime stated.

"No," Ned dismissed. Catelyn stifled a sigh and met Brienne's eyes.

"We are discussing it as an option. We are also discussing Robert's bastards." Catelyn met Brienne's eyes. There was a hostility there that Brienne hated, one that she was sure would never entirely recede, not while Brienne was married to a man that Catelyn thought of as an enemy. "Quite honestly, this would be better if we had news from Arya's trip but-"

"I did not want to send her while she was so weak and untrained, my lady," Brienne said, furrowing her brow, unsure why she was defending her decision to not send Arya to her death. "Do we know of any of Robert's bastards who are fully grown?"

"There's the smith, Gendry," Jaime suggested, glancing at Brienne, who immediately scowled. Ned perked up.

"No."

"Why not?" Ned asked, glancing at his wife. "He looks just like Robert. There would be no question of his legitimacy."

"Other than the obvious question of his legitimacy," Jaime added. Ned scowled.

"Remember, Lannister, that we would have had three heirs, if it weren't for you and your sister." Brienne stiffened. Jaime's easy smile morphed into a mocking one.

"If you think Cersei would ever have had Robert, you are wrong. She would have found another if she hadn't had me." Ned and Jaime's eyes met, bitter dislike in each.

"Enough," Catelyn interrupted, glancing at Jon Arryn. Brienne wondered how much he knew of their travels through time and then decided it wasn't important. They weren't discussing anything that Brienne or Jaime knew now. This was a new world, with different consequences to different actions. Every new action rippled like a pebble on water. They were talking of putting a boy on the throne, whether it was Jon or Gendry, or another of Robert's bastards. None were truly old enough to rule.

"Putting Gendry on the throne would -" Brienne cleared her throat, meeting Catelyn's eyes "- I believe that putting Gendry on the throne would be very difficult for Arya." Ned's eyes narrowed. Catelyn's eyes flashed. "You would force her to choose between what she loves and who she is."

Catelyn opened her mouth at the same moment as there was a knock on the door. All five occupants of the room, heated with debate, looked up to see whom it was. The door opened and revealed a white cloak. Brienne did not recognise him.

"My lords, my ladies, there is news."

XXX

They reached the throne room quickly and, despite the news that the White Cloak had conferred upon them, they were shocked by the sight of Jon Snow sitting upon the Iron Throne.

"He declared himself a Targaryen, showed a marriage certificate of Rhaegar and Lyanna, swore to bring peace to the realms, and enough people bowed," the knight said with a shrug. "I suppose the knights just want somebody. And Ned Stark's ward is enough."

Brienne swallowed as she watched him. He had learned, finally, to hide his emotions and he looked across the throne room with cool reserve. "I have sent a messenger to Essos, where Daenerys Targaryen lives in exile. I will invite her back here to see her homeland and to make an alliance. The Seven Kingdoms will not be subject to a civil war again."

The nobles cheered. Brienne looked around but she did not recognise many. Admittedly, she had never been very good at remembering seals and mottos of houses, and she had spent next to no time at court. She was sure that Jaime knew most of them, and their motives behind supporting Jon.

She wondered briefly how long ago he had decided that he would, in fact, take the Iron Throne. Was it the moment that Robert had been announced dead? And, when Brienne found Sansa standing strongly at the front of the crowd supporting the new king, she wondered how much Sansa had had to do with it.

XXX

King's Landing revolted. It was an easy thing to predict, of course, so the City Watch, along with any other sizable army regiments in the city, had been deployed to keep things under check while Jon tried to create a realm that would survive.

Jon Arryn was kept as regent to the surprise of those who assumed Ned Stark would take his place. But Jon Snow knew his adopted family. He sent Ned and Catelyn back to Winterfell as soon as he was able, only keeping Sansa and Robb in the south to represent the North's interests. Jaime could see that that had been something lacking in Robert and Cersei's governance.

Jon also legitimised Robert's eldest bastard, who was not Gendry, but another lad, from near Storm's End. He brought the boy, Edric, to court and named him Robert's heir, which both Stannis and Renly disputed, but Jon fairly had a soft spot for bastards - and he had seen both Stannis and Renly fail to rule. Stannis was sent to Storm's End to rule there in Edric's absence and Renly kept at court to be Master of Laws.

And he made Brienne and Jaime the Wardens of the West. He told them that Targaryen and Stark and Lannister would be friends. He sent them packing, back to Casterly Rock. He would speak pretty words but Jaime knew that Jon Snow would never like him, not like he liked Tyrion, who he put on his council. That was alright for Jaime. He didn't need Jon Snow's approval, not even now he was king. He'd never needed a king's approval before.

And so the nobles were happy, in the main part. Stannis stewed at Storm's End, and Jaime advised Jon to keep his eye on that, and more and more houses flocked into the capital every day to press their daughters on the single king but Jaime knew as well as Brienne, as well as Sansa, as well as Arya, who had been dispatched to Essos to send a message to Daenerys, that Jon was waiting for the woman who he had loved so fiercely, who he had killed once upon a time. He would meet her and only make a choice after that.

To make the people of King's Landing happy, Jon sent food to every house in the city, the small ones and the big ones. When the hunger was gone, the people thought that their king cared for them. Jaime thought that Jon might care for them, too. That was just the sort of person he was.

By the time Jaime and Brienne finally left the wretched city, the riots had stopped. They galloped as far as they could on that first day, in the hope that they could put all of this politics and rioting behind them. The trip had been as short as they could have hoped for and as successful as they could have hoped for, but they still wished to already be home.

Their baby was tiring Brienne too, so, when they stopped with their retinue, they had only been riding for five hours and the sun had not yet quite set. But Jaime knew that if Brienne was complaining of fatigue and discomfort then they probably should have stopped an hour or two ago.

Their retinue set up their tents and hunted for their dinner while Jaime and Brienne went to find an inn for themselves. Usually, they would have stayed in tents with their army, for practicality reasons of being able to pitch wherever they liked, but Brienne was growing bigger now and Jaime wanted to give her as much comfort as possible.

Served with a warming stew, they perched themselves on a bench, opposite each other, and Jaime watched appreciatively while Brienne dug ferociously into her stew. "You have to tell me as soon as you're uncomfortable or tired, you know," he commented as he dipped his bread into the stew. "Then we can stop."

"Jaime, I'm seven months pregnant. I'm always uncomfortable and tired."

"Then we'll get you a carriage," he suggested but Brienne shook her head.

"I want to ride. We'll get home sooner and see Myrcella and Tommen - and find out exactly when Arya left. I cannot believe she didn't tell us what she was planning on doing. She must have known what Jon was planning on doing too."

Jaime brushed his thumb against her hand on the table. "I'm sure she found out after we left. Maybe she told Myrcella."

"She could have sent a raven," Brienne grumbled. Jaime smiled at her. "What are you smiling about?"

Jaime shook his head. "Nothing. Do you think Daenerys will marry Jon?"

"You don't know that that's what he wants," Brienne reminded him. Jaime rolled his eyes. "And you don't know if she will come. She will already be married to that Dothraki lord."

"True," Jaime allowed, "but he is supposed to die."

Brienne shrugged. "So was Jon Arryn."

"Are you being particularly obstinate for a reason today?"

Brienne gave him a little grin. "I like getting under your skin." Jaime smirked. "You realise that we are free, now."

"We've always been free."

Brienne shook her head. "No, I mean, of responsibility. We can trust Jon with the realm, can't we? We're free of our responsibility because of our insight."

Jaime sighed. "I don't know. We'll have to see about Daenerys, won't we?"

Brienne shrugged. "I suppose so but Tyrion and Sansa are at court. I'm sure they'll be able to deal with anything, with her memories and his cleverness."

"Very clever pair," Jaime commented, looking up at Brienne with eyebrows raised. She scowled at him.

"Stop."

"I'm just saying that it is entirely possible that they are going to have sex." Brienne cringed so much that Jaime almost choked. She could not cope with the idea of Sansa and Tyrion having a relationship. "It probably won't be for a few years."

"Good," Brienne said, her lip curled. "Sansa is essentially a child."

"But mentally she's not."

"But physically she is," Brienne reminded him. "Her body is a child's body."

Jaime sighed. "I suppose you're right. I suppose Tyrion will have to wait." Brienne threw her piece of bread at him and Jaime caught it in his mouth. Her eyes lit up and Jaime grinned. "I was thinking-"

"Never a good sign," Brienne grumbled. Jaime smiled winningly at her.

"I was thinking that the only thing we've done since we returned is force Cersei's death. That's the only thing that we personally have changed."

"Yes," Brienne agreed.

"So we saved the children, I suppose, though not Joffrey. Nobody else would have saved Myrcella and Tommen. But, as much as we love them, I doubt they're very important to the Gods. Why do you think we were sent back?"

Brienne sighed. "Jaime, we must have this discussion at least once a week."

Jaime shrugged. "Fine, this is the last time. It's just that, now everything is over -"

"As far as we know," Brienne added.

"True. I suppose we don't know what's going to happen."

"Very true. Jaime, why can't you just be happy that we've been given a new chance? You worry too much."

Jaime snorted. "I must if you're saying that." She gave him a wounded look. "Okay, okay, wench, I'll stop questioning the Gods and assume that the Stranger sent us back to be happy. Does that make you happy?"

"Exceedingly so," she said, taking his hand over the table. Jaime rolled his eyes.

"Exceedingly seems like an exaggeration."

Brienne shook her head. "Exceedingly. I have you and Myrcella and Tommen, and our baby. This exceeds all of my happiness expectations."

"I suppose when you put it like that, I am exceedingly happy too." And Jaime was. Sometimes his happiness seemed to flow out of him into giddiness, like it needed an outlet. He took Brienne's hand and brought it to his mouth. He sent a prayer to the Gods, to the Stranger specifically, to say thank you, thank you. This life was a gift.


End file.
